Tick virus diseases

Article By:

Shors, Teri Department of Biology and Microbiology, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

Last reviewed:May 2021

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.696450

Infectious viral diseases spread through the bite of blood-feeding ticks. Tick-borne diseases, especially tick virus diseases, have emerged as a public health concern on a global scale. They occur in various vertebrates, including pigs, sheep, goats, and humans, and are caused by parasites, bacteria, and viruses. Most tick-borne pathogens of human and agricultural significance are transmitted by hard ticks that belong to the Ixodidae family, in contrast to soft ticks belonging to the Argasidae family. For example, in North America, most of the tick-borne pathogens affecting humans are associated with the black-legged or deer tick, Ixodes scapularis (Fig. 1). Hard ticks, unlike soft ticks, contain a hard scutum or outside shield, which bestows a unique pattern or color on these arachnids that aids in their identification. Viral diseases in humans that are transmitted by blood-feeding hard ticks are the focus of this overview. See also: Acari; Animal virus; Arachnida; Disease; Infectious disease; Ixodida; Medical bacteriology; Parasitology; Pathogen; Virus

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