What do ticks feed on in humans? - briefly
Ticks attach to the skin and ingest the host’s blood, using saliva that contains anticoagulants to keep the flow continuous. Their diet consists exclusively of this liquid tissue, providing the nutrients required for growth and reproduction.
What do ticks feed on in humans? - in detail
Ticks obtain nourishment from humans by piercing the skin and ingesting blood plasma. The feeding apparatus, called a hypostome, contains barbed mouthparts that anchor the parasite while a salivary canal delivers anticoagulants, anti‑inflammatory agents, and immunomodulatory proteins. These substances keep the blood fluid, reduce host pain perception, and suppress local immune reactions, allowing the tick to remain attached for extended periods.
The blood meal consists primarily of:
- Plasma, which provides proteins, glucose, and electrolytes.
- Red blood cells, supplying hemoglobin and iron.
- White blood cells, occasionally ingested in small quantities.
Feeding stages differ among tick species:
- Larvae – after hatching, each larva takes a single, short‑duration blood meal, usually lasting 24–48 hours.
- Nymphs – larger than larvae, nymphs feed for 3–5 days, acquiring more volume of blood.
- Adults – females require the largest intake, often 5–10 days, to support egg production; males may feed briefly or not at all.
During attachment, ticks secrete cement‑like proteins that harden to stabilize their position. The tick’s gut expands to store up to several hundred microliters of blood, a volume far exceeding its own body mass. Throughout the feeding period, the parasite intermittently regurgitates saliva, which serves as the primary route for pathogen transmission.
Key physiological impacts on the human host include:
- Localized erythema and swelling at the bite site.
- Formation of a small, firm, darkened nodule (the “tick bite lesion”) that may persist after detachment.
- Potential systemic effects if pathogens such as Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease), Anaplasma phagocytophilum, or Rickettsia species are transmitted.
The duration of attachment directly influences the likelihood of disease transmission; most pathogens require several hours of continuous feeding before they can be passed to the host. Prompt removal within 24 hours markedly reduces infection risk.