tick fever

tick

[tik] a blood-sucking parasitic arachnid; there are two types, hard and soft. Hard ticks (family Ixodidae) have a smooth, hard cover that shields the entire back of the male but only the anterior portion of the back in the female. Soft ticks (family Argasidae) lack this shield. Ticks are visible to the human eye. A hard tick can be seen on the skin, where it burrows into the outer layer with its knifelike tongue; it must be removed from the skin with care. Soft ticks do not bore into the skin. The two varieties carry different diseases but both thrive in the spring and early summer and inhabit wooded areas, brush, or grass.

Ticks serve as vectors for viruses causing colorado tick fever and some forms of encephalitis and for rickettsiae that cause such diseases as rocky mountain spotted fever and boutonneuse fever. A progressive ascending flaccid paralysis called paralysis" >tick paralysis may follow the bite of certain species, usually Dermacentor andersoni.Removal of Hard Ticks. If hard ticks are extracted from the skin immediately, before they begin to suck blood, the chances of their transmitting disease are lessened; probably the only damage done will be an irritating itch at the site. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that ticks be removed intact with fine-tip tweezers. Once the head and body are removed, the tick should not be squeezed or crushed with the bare hands. The site should be washed with soap and water.tick fever any of various infectious diseases transmitted by the bite of a tick. The causative parasite may be a rickettsia, as in rocky mountain spotted fever; a bacterium such as Babesia or Borrelia; or a virus, such as that of colorado tick fever.

tick fever

n. Any of various febrile diseases transmitted by ticks, such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Texas fever.

tick fever

See Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

tick fe·ver

(tik fē'vĕr) 1. Any infectious disease of humans or other animals caused by a protozoan blood parasite, a bacterium, a rickettsia, or a virus, and transmitted by a tick. 2. The tick-borne variety of relapsing fever. 3. Synonym(s): bovine babesiosis. 4. Synonym(s): Rocky Mountain spotted fever. 5. Synonym(s): Colorado tick fever.

tick fever

tick fever

tick fever

tick′ fe`ver

tick fever

tick fever

tick fever

tick

tick fever

tick fever

tick fe·ver

tick fever

Synonyms for tick fever

noun caused by rickettsial bacteria and transmitted by wood ticks

Synonyms

Related Words