Ticks choose humans over dogs in hot weather, study finds

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A type of tick which carries a potentially fatal disease is more likely to feed on humans than dogs when temperatures increase, a study has found, raising concerns about the impact of climate change on people’s health. These ticks carry the bacteria which causes the Rocky Mountain spotted fever, an illness whose fatality rate can exceed one in five people if an infection is not spotted in the first week. Although the tropical lineage tick is only currently found in southern parts of the US like Arizona, Ms Backus warned that its range is predicted to expand northwards with rising temperatures. "We believe that this decreased preference for dogs - combined with a slight increase in preference for humans - suggests that hot temperatures may also elevate risks of RMSF in areas where the temperate ticks are more common," Ms Backus said.