2. Ticks are small arachnids in
the order Parasitiformes. Along with mites. Ticks
are ectoparasites (external parasites), living
by hematophagy on the blood of mammals, birds, and
sometimes reptiles and amphibians. Ticks
are vectors of a number of diseases, including Lyme
disease, Q fever (rare; more commonly transmitted by
infected excreta), Colorado tick fever, Rocky Mountain
spotted fever, African tick bite fever, Crimean Congo
hemorrhagic fever, tularemia, tick-borne relapsing
fever, babesiosis, as well as bovine anaplasmosis and
probably the Heartland virus. Some species
the Australian paralysis tick, and can cause paralysis.
