Hyalomma ticks are important vectors of the virus causing Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever. Ticks in this genus parasitize domestic and wild mammals and birds and are abundant in semi-arid zones. Most Hyalomma species have 3-host life cycles, but some species undergo either a 2-host or 3-host cycle depending on the host; ticks of at least one species (H. scupense) have a 1-host life cycle. Unlike most other ixodid ticks, which wait on vegetation for a host to pass, adult Hyalomma actively run out from their resting sites when a host approaches. (Jongejan and Uilenberg 2004)
