How long can a tick live in a human? - briefly
A tick may remain attached to a human host for up to two to three weeks, though most detach within five to ten days. Survival beyond this period is rare and depends on environmental conditions and the tick’s life stage.
How long can a tick live in a human? - in detail
Ticks that attach to a human remain viable only while they obtain a blood meal. An unfed larva or nymph entering the skin can survive for a few hours to a maximum of two days before it succumbs to dehydration. Once feeding begins, the parasite expands dramatically; a female Ixodes species typically requires three to five days to become fully engorged. During this period the tick can transmit pathogens, with most diseases transferred after 24 hours of attachment.
After engorgement the tick detaches voluntarily. Detached specimens lose the ability to ingest further blood and die within 24–48 hours, depending on ambient temperature and humidity. In rare cases, an adult may remain attached for up to seven days if the host does not notice the infestation, but survival beyond this interval is unlikely because the tick’s internal reserves are exhausted.
A concise timeline:
- Entry without feeding: 0–48 hours → mortality if no blood is obtained.
- Feeding phase: 24–120 hours → full engorgement for adult females; pathogen transmission risk increases after the first 24 hours.
- Detachment: immediate after engorgement; death occurs within 1–2 days.
Overall, the maximum lifespan of a tick inside a human host does not exceed one week, with the productive feeding window limited to three–five days for adult females and one–two days for immature stages. Any longer presence indicates either a delayed detection by the host or an atypical environmental condition that slows the tick’s metabolism.