Economic and Health Impact of the Ticks in Production Animals

Abstract

Nowadays there is no doubt about the importance of production animals in the economy and food security of the population throughout the world. For an animal to be productive (cattle, small ruminants, swine or poultry) is needed to be in adequate health conditions. The health of these animals can be altered by the direct and indirect effects of ticks, causing significant losses in the production of meat, milk, eggs, leathers, and in many cases the death of the affected animals. The direct losses are related to the damage produced by the ticks when feeding on the blood of their hosts, while the indirect losses are related to the infectious agents transmitted by the ticks, and the costs associated to the treatment and control. It is important then, to know what are the economic and health impacts of ticks on the main production animals.