Learn where ticks live, how to prevent tick bites, and what to do after a tick bite. Homepage for CDC's website about ticks and tickborne diseases.

Ticks are external parasites, living by feeding on the blood of mammals, birds, and sometimes reptiles and amphibians. The timing of the origin of ticks is uncertain, though the oldest known …

Jul 24, 2025 · Ticks can transmit diseases like Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Colorado tick fever, so prompt removal and medical attention are crucial. To remove a tick, …

Nov 14, 2023 · As of 2019, Lyme disease is the most often diagnosed tick-borne illness. Here are images of unfed, human-biting ticks. The images also show where the ticks might be found in …

There are over 800 species of ticks throughout the world, but only two families of ticks, Ixodidae (hard ticks) and Argasidae (soft ticks), are known to transmit diseases or illness to humans.

Dec 20, 2025 · A tick bite can cause immediate and intense itching in some people due to the toxins and irritants in the tick’s saliva. Here’s how to identify a tick bite.

Nov 24, 2025 · A tick is any of about 970 species of parasitic invertebrates in the order Ixodida. Ticks are important parasites of large wild and domestic animals and are also significant …

Oct 13, 2024 · Ticks are parasites that feed on blood and can transmit serious diseases like Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, causing symptoms ranging from fever to severe …

Jun 23, 2025 · Ticks can carry more than a dozen different disease-causing agents, including toxins, allergens, bacteria, parasites and viruses. There are early signs that it could be a bad …

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection most commonly spread by the bite of infected ticks, which attach to any part of the body. The CDC recommends you check your dog daily for ticks, …