The mere mention of the word tick triggers revulsion and horror in most people. And to be fair perhaps this reaction is somewhat justified, having a creature stealthily attaching itself to your body, sucking your blood, while at the same time potentially transmitting a disease, is not exactly an endearing thought.
Anyone who has spent time in the bush will be well familiar with the so called ‘pepper ticks’. Pepper ticks are in fact the larval stage of the tick. They are tiny and often cluster on grasses and other vegetation in a behavior known as questing, waiting for an unsuspecting animal or human to brush past where they can then attach themselves to the host. The presence of pepper ticks upon your person is typically ‘announced’ when quite suddenly one is overcome by an intense and uncontrollable itch emanating from between the toes, around your ankles or if you are unlucky from let’s say the more ‘sensitive’ parts the body. More than a few guides have had to rapidly exit the presence of their guests to relieve ‘the itch’.
What is perhaps not well known about ticks is that they are arachnids, with adults usually having four pairs of legs. They differ from other arachnids in that their cephalothorax and abdomen are completely fused with no body segmentation. All ticks are ectoparasitic and feed on the blood of their host animal. Their life cycle includes an egg stage, six- legged larval stage, one or more eight-legged nymphal stages, and finally the adult stage. Depending on the species they may utilize one, two or three host animals to complete their life cycle. An interesting fact is that a single impala at any given time, may have up to 5 000 ticks and a single Cape Buffalo anywhere from 10 000 to 20 000 ticks!
Ticks are well known as vectors for several diseases that can infect both humans and animals. In southern Africa there are two tick- borne diseases that are commonly transmitted to people. Boutonneuse fever – like tick bite fever (BFL-TBF), caused by the zoonotic bacterial pathogen Rickettsia conorii, and African tick bite fever (ATBF) caused by Rickettsia africae.
Tick bite prevention
Wearing long pants and closed shoes when walking in the bush will help prevent ticks gaining access to the skin. Applying an insect repellant to your legs and feet will help deter ticks from attaching and feeding. Physically checking your body for the presence of any ticks after potential exposure, is a very effective preventive measure and highly recommended. If you suspect that you may have tick bite fever, seek medical attention as soon as possible.
For more information on scorpions, snakes, spiders and other venomous animals, awareness training and talks, as well as a professional 24hrs problem snake rescue service, contact the author at Wildlife Safety Solutions: 073 934 6156; info@wildlifesafetysolutions.co.za; www.wildlifesafetysolutions.co.za, FB Wildlife Safety Solutions, Instagram wildlife_safety_solutions
