These two little black-legged ticks can pack a lot of punch. They can spread several diseases with a little bite.

You say you’ve never heard of a black-legged ticks before? They are a species of tick that had been misidentified as deer ticks. But even with a new identity, they still can do a lot of damage.

These ticks can transmit these four diseases:
• Lyme’s disease
• Human anaplasmosis
* Human babeosis
• Powassan virus
They possibly also can transmit human erlichiosis.

Click on each link to learn more about these diseases, their symptoms and treatments.

Read through the ensuing pages to learn how to avoid ticks and what to do if you find a tick on your body.

Feeling creative? Go to the comments area and write your own label to describe these black-legged ticks.

What are ticks good for, anyway? Join in this ongoing Science Buzz discussion about the roles ticks play in our ecosystems.

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