Black-legged Tick (Noun)
Meaning
Parasitic on mice of genus Peromyscus and bites humans; principal vector for Lyme disease in eastern United States (especially New England); northern form was for a time known as Ixodes dammini (deer tick).
Classification
Nouns denoting animals.
Examples
- The black-legged tick is a significant threat to both the Peromyscus mice and humans, given its tendency to feed on the blood of multiple hosts.
- Throughout New England, the black-legged tick serves as the primary vector for spreading Lyme disease among humans.
- Research on the black-legged tick has primarily focused on its transmission of Lyme disease, a hazardous bacterial infection.
- Historically, the northern variant of the black-legged tick was once recognized separately under the name Ixodes dammini, commonly referred to as the deer tick.
- Precautions against black-legged tick bites are crucial, particularly in regions where they are present, to minimize the risk of Lyme disease transmission.