[Ixodes ricinus. Health risks and approaches in prevention].

Ticks belong to the parasitical mites. There are more than 1000 different species worldwide which do need blood of warm-blooded organisms for their own development. As ticks are well known to be vectors of several pathogens which could cause insidious infectious diseases, they are important in human and veterinarian medicine as well. It is not possible to control ticks in nature. Therefore the first step should be an effective prevention. In case of a bite the tick must be removed as soon as possible. Although Ixodes ricinus is more or less responsible for all health risks caused by ticks in Germany, further species like Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Dermacentor marginatus and Argas reflexus must not be forgotten, as these ticks have appeared more frequently in the recent past and they can be vectors of several diseases as well. This paper describes first and foremost the biological behaviour and development of Ixodes ricinus and the medical importance of this tick in human and veterinarian medicine.