The term “garapata” is the common name for a tick in both Spanish and Tagalog. This external parasite is not an insect but an arachnid, sharing a classification with spiders and mites. Garapatas must feed on the blood of a host to survive and are important because they transmit pathogens that can cause serious illness in humans and animals.
Defining the Garapata
Garapatas belong to the class Arachnida, which sets them apart from insects. Adult and nymphal ticks possess eight legs, compared to the six legs of insects. Their body structure consists of two fused segments—the cephalothorax and the abdomen—rather than the three distinct body parts found in insects. Ticks lack antennae, relying instead on specialized sensory organs to locate a host.
The life cycle of a tick involves four distinct stages: egg, six-legged larva, eight-legged nymph, and eight-legged adult. A blood meal is required for the tick to progress between active stages and for the adult female to reproduce. The entire cycle can take up to three years to complete. Each active stage must find a new host, which is why ticks are referred to as three-host feeders.
Ticks employ a strategy called “questing” to find a host, climbing onto vegetation like tall grasses or shrubs and extending their front legs outward. They cannot fly or jump, so they wait for a passing animal or person to brush against them. Ticks detect a host by sensing carbon dioxide exhalation, body heat, moisture, and vibrations. Once attached, the tick inserts its specialized mouthpart, called the hypostome, into the skin to begin feeding.
Diseases Transmitted by Ticks
The primary concern associated with a garapata bite is the transmission of disease-causing agents, including bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. Ticks transmit these pathogens through their saliva while feeding, a process that can take a significant amount of time. When a tick attaches, it injects saliva containing anticoagulants and anesthetic compounds, allowing it to feed undetected for days. Pathogens, often harbored in the tick’s midgut, become active and travel to the salivary glands in response to the host’s blood.
For Lyme disease, the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi typically requires the tick to be attached for at least 24 to 48 hours before transmission occurs. Early symptoms often include fever, fatigue, joint aches, and sometimes a characteristic expanding red area known as erythema migrans (a bull’s-eye rash). If untreated, the infection can progress to affect the joints, heart, and nervous system, leading to complications like arthritis or facial paralysis.
Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is caused by the bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii. RMSF is dangerous because the bacteria target the lining of the blood vessels, causing inflammation and damage throughout the body. Symptoms typically appear three to twelve days after a bite and include a sudden onset of fever, severe headache, and a rash that usually starts on the wrists and ankles before spreading. Unlike Lyme disease, transmission of the RMSF pathogen can occur in less than 10 hours.
Practical Steps for Mitigation
Removing an attached garapata quickly and correctly is the best way to reduce the risk of disease transmission. Fine-tipped tweezers should be used to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible, ideally at its mouthparts. Pull upward with a steady, even pressure, avoiding twisting or jerking motions that could cause the mouthparts to break off in the skin. After removal, the bite area and hands should be cleaned with rubbing alcohol or soap and water to disinfect the site.
Prevention strategies are the most effective defense against tick-borne illness, beginning with the application of repellents. Products registered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that contain ingredients like DEET, picaridin, or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus can be applied to exposed skin. Clothing, boots, and camping gear can be pre-treated with permethrin, a repellent that kills ticks on contact and remains effective through several washes.
When returning from outdoor activities, individuals should perform a full-body check for ticks, paying attention to hidden areas like the scalp, groin, and armpits. Clothes worn outdoors should be tumbled in a dryer on high heat for at least ten minutes to kill any hitchhiking ticks. Clearing leaf litter and tall grass around a home creates a less hospitable environment for these parasites.