Breaking News English

Doctors worldwide are becoming [concerned / concerning] about the increasing prevalence of ticks. These are tiny, blood-sucking bugs that carry germs from one host to [the other / another] . Their bites can pass on serious health problems [alike / like] Lyme disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the USA has reported a [dramatically / dramatic] upswing [in / on] tick activity. It said thirty-one million Americans are bitten by ticks [annual / annually] , and that the number of cases [are / is] increasing year by [years / year] . Biology professor Vett Lloyd said: "Tick populations are expanding geographically because we're [changing / chancing] the climate." The UK's 'Guardian' newspaper reported that cases of Lyme disease [arose / rose] over 20 per cent between 2024 and 2025.

Ticks are arachnids — they are [relative / related] to spiders. They have oval, flat bodies and eight legs. After they fill themselves [with / in] blood, their bodies become [spherical / sphere] . They range in size from the size of a [puppy / poppy] seed to an apple seed. They latch [on / at] to animals and humans by sinking their mouthparts into the skin of their [victimless / victims] . Their mouthparts cut the skin and drink blood for days. Their [split / saliva] contains a mild anaesthetic. This [numbers / numbs] the bite area, so people often do not feel anything. The CDC offers advice [by / for] avoiding tick bites. It recommends wearing insect [repels / repellents] that contain the ingredient DEET. It also advises wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants and closed shoes.