Ticks: Biology, Ecology and Diseases provides a detailed overview of the fascinating world of tick biology and ecology. This book discusses disease transmission to humans and livestock, assesses the impact of human behavior and climate change on tick biology, and details how this will affect future disease transmission. Written by an expert on ticks and their transmitted diseases, this book explores the unique biology of ticks and how it influences the transmission of some of the most devastating diseases. In a series of detailed chapters, the book provides up-to-date information on the interrelationship between ticks and the vertebrates they feed on. In addition, the book covers information on recent scientific discoveries surrounding ticks, along with reviews on control methods and disease transmission. Other sections cover the recent emergence of tick-borne pathogens, making this book an ideal source for interested scientists, clinicians, veterinarians and experts in the field of tick biology.
1. Introduction to ticks
2. Tick classification and anatomy
3. The tick life cycle
4. Blood feeding as a life choice
5. Tick saliva
6. Tick and tick-borne disease distribution
7. Tick-borne diseases of humans
8. Tick-borne diseases of animals
9. The tick microbiome
10. Ticks and climate change
11. Controlling ticks and tick-borne diseases
12. Conclusions
Nick Johnson has worked in biological research for over 20 years working on projects as diverse as HIV pathogenic mechanisms to transmission of bat-borne diseases. The main focus of his research over the past fourteen years has been the investigation of the epidemiology and disease mechanisms of zoonotic viruses including rabies virus, West Nile virus and tick-borne encephalitis virus. He has published extensively through original research in peer-review journals, commissioned reviews and book chapters.