''Hyalomma'' is a genus of hard-bodied

tick Ticks (order Ixodida) are parasitic arachnids that are part of the mite superorder Parasitiformes. Adult ticks are approximately 3 to 5 mm in length depending on age, sex, species, and "fullness". Ticks are external parasites, living by ...

s common in

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

, and

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

. They are also found in

Southern Africa Southern Africa is the southernmost subregion of the African continent, south of the Congo and Tanzania. The physical location is the large part of Africa to the south of the extensive Congo River basin. Southern Africa is home to a number of ...

. The name is derived from

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

: hyalos (ὕαλος) crystal, glass; and omma (oμμα) eye. The genus is believed to originate from the area of the present-day Iran or the southern part of the former

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

, having then had spread further into Asia, including the Middle East, and to southern Europe and Africa. ''Hyalomma'' are larger in size and do not have protective shields (indistinct festoons), but have eyes and banded legs. ''Hyalomma'' species are difficult to identify due to their hybridization and genetic and morphological variations, caused by harsh environmental conditions and lack of food sources. ''Hyalomma'' species are the only ticks to live in such harsh desert conditions. With few hosts available, they are required to be active as soon as a potential host is sensed. Adult ''Hyalomma'' can bite humans and transmit serious pathogens. Immature (

nymph A nymph ( grc, νύμφη, nýmphē, el, script=Latn, nímfi, label=Modern Greek; , ) in ancient Greek folklore is a minor female nature deity. Different from Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature, are ty ...

) ''Hyalomma'' usually feed on birds, rodents, and hares and can be the cause of viral disease and

rickettsia ''Rickettsia'' is a genus of nonmotile, gram-negative, nonspore-forming, highly pleomorphic bacteria that may occur in the forms of cocci (0.1 μm in diameter), bacilli (1–4 μm long), or threads (up to about 10 μm long). The term "rickett ...

s. Nymphs are often transmitted from one place to another by migrating birds. For example, a migrating bird carrying a ''Hyalomma marginatum'' nymph can cause Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever. ''Hyalomma'' species can also transmit

s like Siberian tick typhus,

Boutonneuse fever Boutonneuse fever (also called, Mediterranean spotted fever, ''fièvre boutonneuse'', Kenya tick typhus, Indian tick typhus, Marseilles fever, or Astrakhan fever) is a fever as a result of a rickettsial infection caused by the bacterium '' Ricketts ...

, and

Q fever Q fever or query fever is a disease caused by infection with ''Coxiella burnetii'', a bacterium that affects humans and other animals. This organism is uncommon, but may be found in cattle, sheep, goats, and other domestic mammals, including ...

Species

* ''

Hyalomma aegyptium ''Hyalomma'' is a genus of hard-bodied ticks common in Asia, Europe, and North Africa. They are also found in Southern Africa. The name is derived from Greek: hyalos (ὕαλος) crystal, glass; and omma (oμμα) eye. The genus is believed to ...

'' Linnaeus, 1758 * '' Hyalomma albiparmatum'' Schulze, 1919 * '' Hyalomma anatolicum'', parasite of camel ** ''

Hyalomma anatolicum excavatum ''Hyalomma'' is a genus of hard-bodied ticks common in Asia, Europe, and North Africa. They are also found in Southern Africa. The name is derived from Greek: hyalos (ὕαλος) crystal, glass; and omma (oμμα) eye. The genus is believed to ...

'' * ''

Hyalomma arabica ''Hyalomma'' is a genus of hard-bodied ticks common in Asia, Europe, and North Africa. They are also found in Southern Africa. The name is derived from Greek: hyalos (ὕαλος) crystal, glass; and omma (oμμα) eye. The genus is believed to ...

'' Pegram, Hoogstraal & Wassef, 1982 * '' Hyalomma brevipunctata'' Sharif, 1928 * '' Hyalomma dromedarii'' Koch, 1844 * ''

Hyalomma erythraeum ''Hyalomma'' is a genus of hard-bodied ticks common in Asia, Europe, and North Africa. They are also found in Southern Africa. The name is derived from Greek: hyalos (ὕαλος) crystal, glass; and omma (oμμα) eye. The genus is believed to ...

'' Tonelli-Rondelli, 1932 * ''

Hyalomma franchinii ''Hyalomma'' is a genus of hard-bodied ticks common in Asia, Europe, and North Africa. They are also found in Southern Africa. The name is derived from Greek: hyalos (ὕαλος) crystal, glass; and omma (oμμα) eye. The genus is believed to ...

'' Tonelli-Rondelli, 1932 * ''

Hyalomma hussaini ''Hyalomma'' is a genus of hard-bodied ticks common in Asia, Europe, and North Africa. They are also found in Southern Africa. The name is derived from Greek: hyalos (ὕαλος) crystal, glass; and omma (oμμα) eye. The genus is believed to ...

'' Sharif, 1928 * ''

Hyalomma hystricis ''Hyalomma'' is a genus of hard-bodied ticks common in Asia, Europe, and North Africa. They are also found in Southern Africa. The name is derived from Greek: hyalos (ὕαλος) crystal, glass; and omma (oμμα) eye. The genus is believed to ...

'' Dhanda & Raja, 1974 * ''

Hyalomma impeltatum ''Hyalomma'' is a genus of hard-bodied ticks common in Asia, Europe, and North Africa. They are also found in Southern Africa. The name is derived from Greek: hyalos (ὕαλος) crystal, glass; and omma (oμμα) eye. The genus is believed to ...

'' Schulze & Schlottke, 1930 * ''

Hyalomma impressum ''Hyalomma'' is a genus of hard-bodied ticks common in Asia, Europe, and North Africa. They are also found in Southern Africa. The name is derived from Greek: hyalos (ὕαλος) crystal, glass; and omma (oμμα) eye. The genus is believed to ...

'' Koch, 1844 * ''

Hyalomma kumari ''Hyalomma'' is a genus of hard-bodied ticks common in Asia, Europe, and North Africa. They are also found in Southern Africa. The name is derived from Greek: hyalos (ὕαλος) crystal, glass; and omma (oμμα) eye. The genus is believed to ...

'' Sharif, 1928 * ''

Hyalomma lusitanicum ''Hyalomma'' is a genus of hard-bodied ticks common in Asia, Europe, and North Africa. They are also found in Southern Africa. The name is derived from Greek: hyalos (ὕαλος) crystal, glass; and omma (oμμα) eye. The genus is believed to ...

'' Koch, 1844 * '' Hyalomma marginatum'' Koch, 1844 * ''

Hyalomma nitidum ''Hyalomma'' is a genus of hard-bodied ticks common in Asia, Europe, and North Africa. They are also found in Southern Africa. The name is derived from Greek: hyalos (ὕαλος) crystal, glass; and omma (oμμα) eye. The genus is believed to ...

'' Schulze, 1919 * '' Hyalomma punt'' Hoogstraal, Kaiser & Pedersen, 1969 * '' Hyalomma rhipicephaloides'' Neumann, 1901 * '' Hyalomma schulzei'' Olenev, 1931 * '' Hyalomma scupense'' Schulze, 1919 * '' Hyalomma sinaii'' Feldman-Muhsam, 1960 * '' Hyalomma truncatum'' Koch, 1844 * '' Hyalomma turanicum'' Pomerantsev, 1946

References

External links

Tick bite disease in Turkey
Ticks Acari genera Ixodidae Taxa named by Carl Ludwig Koch {{parasitic animal-stub