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BLOODSUCKERS: When they feed, some ticks spread Lyme disease, a debilitating condition that is diicult to diagnose and treat.
AGENCY ANIMAL PICTURE/GETTY
THE ANCIENT arthropods we call ticks are a scourge upon humans. The bloodsucking creatures carry bacteria, viruses and parasites that enter our circulatory systems when they latch on to our bodies for a feeding. In particular, the blacklegged tick spreads Lyme disease, a debilitating illness that is difficult to diagnose and treat. Nearly 30,000 people in the U.S. were infected with the Lyme bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, in 2015.