However, some types of ticks may spread disease and some types of ticks may be considered invasive in this state. Ticks are commonly found throughout Minnesota, so you should not be alarmed if you find a low number of ticks attached to your animal. Livestock owners, veterinarians and other animal caretakers are our first line of defense in stopping ticks from spreading disease. The best way to stop this vectorborne disease cycle is through a strong surveillance program and prevention measures.
Tickborne disease transmission often works like this a tick bites an infected animal and can pick up a disease agent (examples include virus or bacteria), the tick detaches to develop into the next life stage, finds another animal to feed upon, and infects it with the disease agent, thus moving the disease from one animal to another. Ticks are parasites and well known as potential vectors for animal diseases, including zoonotic diseases, which are diseases that can be transmitted from animals to people.
