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Doctors are worrying about the increasing prevalence of ticks. These are blood-sucking bugs that carry germs from one host to another. Their bites can pass on serious health problems like Lyme disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported a dramatic rise in tick activity. It said thirty-one million Americans get tick bites annually. Biology professor Vett Lloyd said: "Tick populations are expanding geographically because we're changing the climate." A UK newspaper reported that cases of Lyme disease rose over 20 per cent between 2024 and 2025.
Ticks are related to spiders. They have oval bodies and eight legs. After they fill themselves with blood, their bodies balloon. They range in size and can be the size of an apple seed. They latch on to animals and humans by sinking their mouthparts into the skin. Their mouthparts pierce the skin. Their saliva contains an anaesthetic and numbs the bite area. People rarely feel anything. The ticks can drink a victim's blood for days. The CDC offers advice for avoiding tick bites. This includes wearing insect repellent and wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants and closed shoes.
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