Limpet Ticks

About

Description: Tiny parasites which bite and burrow just under the epidermal layer of a host and slowly feed, while growing a hard disc shaped shell. They don't grow much beyond 3mm at which point the itching caused by the skin above them dying and scabbing causes the host to scratch and pick. The ticks emerge to mate and lay eggs in bedding and other places frequented by potential hosts.

Virulence: Exposure to single ticks will not result in full infestations. Sufficient exposure to enough juveniles may easily result in a cyclical infestation if preventative measures are not taken.
Vector(s): Clothing or bedding in which the adult ticks have laid eggs. These eggs hatch into minuscule juvenile ticks which will infect any warm blooded creature which they come in contact with.
Prevention: Frequent laundering of clothing and bedding.

Incubation: The itching, and noticeable dark lumps may take ten to twenty days to arise, depending on how well feed the juvenile ticks are.
Contagious: A victim is not contagious in and of themselves, but if they have adult ticks they might emerge to mate in clothing or bedding.
Symptoms: A victim of these parasites will have small lumps beneath the skin, which turn black over time. As they grow and the skin above them dies, they can become itchy, and leave scars similar to acne pits when picked, or after the ticks emerge on their own.

Cureability: Properly treated one can recover from this parasite without difficultly. They may have scarring similar to poxmarks afterwards depending on the severity of the infestation.
General: Regular exfoliation while washing infested areas of the body can remove the ticks.
Medicinal: Certain oils, salves and tinctures can force the ticks to abandon a host.
Surgical: Excising individual ticks with a small lancet is possible.