Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
1
Introduction
Ticks are obligate bloodsucking arthropods found in almost every region of the
world.
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4,6,37,49
They belong to the subfamily Ixodoidea of the order Acarina of
class Arachnida.
1,105,110
They are very important vectors of human and animal dis-
eases.
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They surpass all other arthropods in the variety of pathogenic organisms
transmitted to man and animals, which includes viruses, rickettsia, protozoa, and
bacteria. Many of these diseases are zoonotic in nature, causing infection to the
human population closely associated with cattle and forest. Ticks rank second only
to mosquitoes as vectors of human and animal diseases. Some of the tick-borne
human diseases such as Lyme disease and Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever
(CCHF) have caused panic recently in public health authorities in many countries
including Europe and America. Tick-borne protozoan, rickettsial, viral, and bacte-
rial diseases continue to affect man and livestock production in India and abroad.
Tick-borne protozoan diseases such as theilereasis and babesiosis are burning veteri-
nary problems in many countries including India.
It is essential to develop strategies to control these arthropods in order to contain
the tick-borne diseases affecting man and animals. Usually, persons become
infected with tick-borne diseases when they intrude into an established natural
focus (biocenose) where the disease agent is quietly cycling between vertebrate res-
ervoir hosts and their tick vectors. This intersection is increasingly frequent as
human populations grow in number and mobility; as more persons reside, work, or
recreate in tick-infested habitats; as changing environments favor ticks and increase
their range, density, and likelihood of human interaction. It is upon an adequate
understanding of taxonomy, vector biology, and ecology in various geographic
regions of the country that a sound program of control measures can be instituted.
Further, a basic knowledge of taxonomy is important for the proper recognition of
the vector species and its variants. The strategies to be used need to be adapted to
the local species and their behavioral characteristics. Knowledge of the habits and
habitats of the vectors responsible for transmission of tick-borne diseases in differ-
ent ecologic settings in the country is therefore an upshot for the successful pursuit
of any control program. Presently, information on the systematics and ecology of
Indian ticks is scattered in numerous scientific journals and magazines as research
papers, published from India and abroad. There is no compiled work or monograph
providing health research workers in India with accurate and up-to-date information
on the distribution, ecology, disease relationship, and control of the ticks of India.
It is hoped that this monograph on Haemaphysalis, one among a few to appear
shortly on Indian ticks, will serve this purpose.
