“This disease doesn’t have to be deadly if we just know about it,” McCullick said. “A lot of people could be saved just from the knowledge that needs to get out there.”

First time I heard about it.

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[–] Varyk@sh.itjust.works 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

There's no inherent "advantage" so much as it's a result of the tick feeding off animals with those diseases inside them, and then passing those diseases on via its saliva to later meals like humans.

[–] Ptsf@lemmy.world 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Additionally the bacteria that causes Lyme diseases may actually benefit from this relationship. The environment and nature doesn't make choices just at the benefit of humans, it's full scale every organism for themselves.

[–] Varyk@sh.itjust.works 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

How do you think those bacteria could benefit?

[–] Ptsf@lemmy.world 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Kind of hard to ~move around~ when you're that small, so it could be transport related. Plenty of bacteria and smaller organisms hitch a ride on intermediary hosts just for transport reasons, but they could also benefit in other ways tbh, life is weird and creative like that.

[–] Varyk@sh.itjust.works 1 points 5 months ago

I like that mobility perspective, good point