What Makes Ticks, Tick?

Could your blood type turn a ticks stomach? Well, a recent study has revealed that some ticks may have a preference for a particular blood group, more than they do others. With the rising number of tick borne diseases, such as Lyme disease, this is an important study as to what just might be influencing a potentially infected tick to take preference of what’s on the menu. Here’s an article with more information.

Ticks May Find You Tastier If You Have a Certain Blood Type

Do ticks find type A blood more appealing than type B? A new study out of the Czech Republic puts a microscope on why these pint-size arachnids might be more drawn to some hosts over others. Apparently, type A blood was the most appealing to a tick’s palate, attracting 36 percent of the ticks in the study. On the flip side, type B was the least popular, drawing in a mere 15 percent of the small parasitic animals.

By researching tick behavior, scientists are able to establish just what makes ticks, tick!  What their preferences are, where they like to hang out or what they like to eat. More importantly, studies assist the development in the fight against tick borne disease.

The number of diseases transmitted by infected ticks is on the rise, so it is vital that you know how to protect yourself from them.

Tick-Borne Infections Are on the Rise: Here’s How to Protect Yourself

A tick, typically found in the southeastern United States and known as the lone star tick, has been causing people to develop an allergy to red meat, such as beef, pork, and lamb. And this is on top of an increase in Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases across the country. Lyme disease might be the best-known disease from ticks, estimated to affect around 329,000 people in the United States each year. “Babesiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Powassan virus, and anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis are some examples of other dangerous tick-borne infections.

As you can see, there’s a lot you should be concerned about when it comes to ticks, but if you take the right steps in protecting yourself, and being mindful of just what harm these little critters can cause, you are setting yourself up with the best defense against these relentless pests.