Scientists have received a US Patent for developing chimeric, or “combination,” proteins that may advance the development of vaccines and diagnostic tests for Lyme disease.

Here are some interesting facts and information about ticks:

• A hard tick seeks a blood meal at, or slightly above, ground level by climbing onto vegetation and using its forelegs to feel/grab for a host. Ticks are usually found from ground level to three feet above the ground. A tick uses carbon dioxide, scent, body heat, and other stimuli to find a host.
• Ticks are blood sucking external parasites that feed on humans, wild and domestic mammals, birds, reptiles and others. They are totally dependent on the blood/tissue fluids of the host. The longer an infective tick feeds, the greater the chance of infection.