Transboundary Emerging and Exotic Animal Disease/ Exotic Animal Disease Practice Exam

What term describes a tick that uses different hosts during its life cycle?

1. Promiscuous tick

2. Two host tick

3. Bispecific tick

4. Dermatid tick

The correct answer is: Two host tick

The term that describes a tick that uses different hosts during its life cycle is indeed referring to a two-host tick. In the context of tick biology, many ticks undergo several life stages, which can include larva, nymph, and adult. In a two-host tick life cycle, the tick will attach to one host to feed during the larval and nymphal stages before transitioning to a second host as an adult. This behavior is significant in the epidemiology of tick-borne diseases, as the involvement of multiple hosts can increase the spread and transmission potential of pathogens. Understanding the host ecology of ticks is crucial for developing effective control and prevention strategies against the diseases they can transmit. The other terms do not accurately describe this life cycle feature. A promiscuous tick does not specifically pertain to using multiple hosts but can suggest a general lack of selectivity in host choice. Bispecific tick implies the presence of two types of pathogens or host preferences but does not describe the lifecycle in terms of host changes. Dermatid tick does not refer to a life cycle involving different hosts but is a term often used for a specific group of ticks.