Are brown dog ticks harmful to humans? This is a question that many pet owners have been asking in recent years. With the rise of tick-borne illnesses, it is important for pet owners to understand the risks associated with brown dog ticks and their potential impact on human health. Brown dog ticks are a species of hard-bodied tick that can be found all across the United States and other parts of the world. They are a particular nuisance to pet owners because they are known to infest domestic dogs and, to a lesser extent, cats. Despite the fact that they are not known to be a major vector of disease-causing organisms, they can still cause health risks to humans, which is why they should be taken seriously. In this blog post, we will discuss the biology of brown dog ticks, examine their role in the transmission of disease, and explore how to protect yourself and your pets from their bites.
What do brown dog ticks look like?
Adult brown dog ticks are about 1/8″ long when unengorged, but they can grow to be about 1/2″ long when they are engorged with blood. Dog ticks, which are both sexes, have flat, reddish brown, oval bodies, but when engorged, they can change color to a gray-blue or an olive hue. Male dog ticks have tiny pits scattered over the back. They have a scutum (shield) that covers all of their back, whereas females’ scutum only covers the front portion of their back. In both male and female dog ticks, the mouthparts are visible from above, and the eyes are on the edge of the scutum.
Finding a brown dog tick in your yard, on your body, or on your pet is the most typical indication that you have a problem.
Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the brown dog tick as closely to the skin’s surface as you can in order to remove it. Pull upward with steady, even pressure. The mouth parts of the tick could break off and remain in the skin if you twist or jerk it. Clean the tick’s bite site thoroughly with soap and water after it has been removed. Avoid touching the tick and instead preserve it in rubbing alcohol for identification. The tick can be disposed of in two ways: flushed down the toilet, or wrapped in tissue and placed in a closed container. If there is an adverse reaction at the bite site or if you think you may have contracted a disease after the dog tick has been removed, speak with a doctor or veterinarian right away. Contact a certified pest control specialist to conduct an inspection of your property for ticks and to create an effective treatment strategy.
Brown dog ticks are more than just a nuisance; don’t be fooled by their small size or camouflaged appearance. Brown dog ticks are among North America’s least favorite insects due to their vicious jaws and seemingly insatiable bloodlust. The eight-legged arachnids can be a huge problem for both animals and humans because they are patiently waiting in the tall grass to drop onto unwary mammals and begin engorging themselves with their blood. Here, we’ve compiled some of the key justifications for why the brown dog tick is one of the most dreaded pests in the nation.
Ticks are a fact of life in Canada, whether you love them or hate them, and ignoring them won’t make them go away. Because they can be harmful and even fatal to people and animals, it is best to leave their removal to experts who can create a year-round tick management and control plan to keep the scurrying pests off your property.
#1. They are everywhere. The ideal temperature for egg laying is between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius, but brown dog ticks can survive in regions with extremely cold climates, giving them a global distribution. They are rarely reported outside of these areas or in uninhabited areas, where they are primarily found in and around dog kennels, animal pens, and human habitations in urban, suburban, and rural settings.
#2. They are active all year round. The brown dog ticks are highly resilient to a variety of ailments. They can survive even the coldest winter temperatures if they are kept warm and dry inside of human dwellings, even though feeding and development are faster at warmer temperatures. Between late spring and early autumn, brown dog tick activity is reported to be at its peak.
An infestation is best controlled when the tick numbers are low, but most homeowners don’t acknowledge the dimension of their problem until the population has reached a very high level. If you see ticks climbing on walls and furniture, that’s usually an indication that you have a heavy infestation on your hands, and it’s crucial act as soon as possible. The most effective strategy for reducing the risk of a tick infestation in your residential or commercial property is an integrated approach that includes:
American Dog Ticks and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Also called the wood tick, the American dog tick feeds on people, dogs, and other animals spreading infectious disease. This tick seeks out different hosts as it grows: mice and other rodents in its early stages, and people and pets in its adulthood. The full-grown ticks are reddish brown and about a half-inch long. According to the CDC, the American dog ticks geographical range extends east of the Rocky Mountains and along parts of the Pacific coast.
The bacteria Rickettsia rickettsii, which is responsible for Rocky Mountain spotted fever, can infect both people and pets through the bite of this tick. These ticks can also transmit the bacterial disease tularemia and cause tick paralysis, which is thought to be brought on by the saliva of the tick. If youre bitten, you may see redness around the bite. Rocky Mountain spotted fever symptoms appear 3 to 12 days after the bite and include fever, headache, body aches, swelling around the eyes or hands, nausea, and vomiting. Look for a spotty rash that starts on your ankles and wrists and spreads from there two to three days after the fever starts (though 10% of patients never develop a rash). According to the CDC, Rocky Mountain spotted fever can be fatal if treatment is postponed, but prompt treatment with the antibiotic doxycycline is typically effective. If you have been exposed to ticks and experience any of these symptoms, be sure to call your doctor right away.
Lone star ticks are brown or tan, and they are about a third of an inch long. They are found from west-central and east-central Texas up to the coast of Maine. Males have scattered spots or lines outlining their bodies, while females have a distinctive white spot on their backs. Any stage of their three-year life cycle can result in biting.
According to the CDC, lone star ticks can spread tularemia and ehrlichiosis. A high fever, a skin rash or ulcer, and swollen lymph nodes are among the signs of tularemia. Antibiotics can be used to treat the infection, but if it is not, it could be fatal. Southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI), which shares some symptoms with Lyme disease, can also be brought on by lone star tick bites. A bulls-eye rash at the bite site, which typically appears a few days after the bite and can spread to three inches across, is one of the symptoms of STARI. Although STARI symptoms are similar to those of Lyme disease, including body aches, fever, and fatigue, STARI does not have the same long-term effects as Lyme.
Lone star ticks have also transmitted the rare Heartland virus, first identified in 2009 in two men in Missouri. Since then, infections have also occurred in Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Iowa, Illinois, Tennessee, Indiana, Georgia, and South Carolina, according to a study published in April 2022 in Emerging Infectious Diseases. As of January 2021, more than 50 people have been diagnosed with the virus in the Midwest and southern United States, according to the CDC. Infection causes fever, headaches, and low platelet and white blood cell counts. There is no treatment.
Allergic reactions to consuming red meat have been reported in people bitten by lone star ticks, notes the CDC.
FAQ
Do brown dog ticks attach to humans?
Although dogs are the preferred host, brown dog ticks will feed on humans and other mammals if dogs are not available, including domestic animals.
Do all brown dog ticks carry disease?
Brown dog ticks are typically known for carrying and transmitting diseases that affect dogs, but more recently it has been demonstrated that they also do so for at least one disease that has an effect on human health. Follow the links below to learn more. Human Diseases: Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
Can Dog ticks be harmful to humans?
Tick-borne diseases can cause symptoms such as fever, anemia, paralysis, lameness, and others. Although infected dogs cannot transmit Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain spotted fever to humans, the same ticks that bite dogs can transmit these and other diseases when they bite humans.
Do brown ticks cause Lyme disease?
Lone star ticks (Amblyomma americanum), American dog ticks (Dermacentor variabilis), Rocky Mountain wood ticks (Dermacentor andersoni), and brown dog ticks (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) are examples of ticks that are not known to transmit Lyme disease.