Keep ticking away at parasite control

I was queuing for the cash point recently, casually minding my own business, when the gentleman in front of me started up conversation. Never one to want to appear rude, I obliged him and we discussed the usual; the weather, the economy…and then my work. Well what can I say?! ‘I work in veterinary parasitology’, I obediently told him…and fully expected the blank look of ‘veter-whaty what?’ Instead, I was met with a look of, what could be described as, ‘mild interest’. He went on to surprise me further by telling me that he had recently heard that some parasites can carry other parasites, the example he gave me was of a flea which can transmit worms. I took him to mean Dipylidium caninum, the flea tapeworm, and we had a brief discussion in which the gentleman was both pleased and disgusted that what he had heard was true. Sensing with excitement that I might have someone here willing to listen to my field of interest, I went on to tell him that fleas are not the only parasite vectors, and that ticks are even more renowned for infecting hosts with parasitic diseases. Unfortunately, here is where our conversation ended as we reached the front of the queue.