The book is divided into three sections. The first deals with vampire bats, of which there are three -- Desmodus, Diphylla, and Diaemus. The latter feeds on birds and in the case of domestic poultry has learned how to mimic chick behaviour. Chickens are observed allowing bats to sup on their brood patch.
The second section deals with leeches, and includes an interesting history of their medical use, past and present.
The final section (bedbugs, ticks, and mites) is probably the most unnerving because it hits closest to home. Bedbugs have been making a resurgence in recent years, while the enigmatic Lyme disease (spread by ticks) can be hard to diagnose and impossible to cure if not caught early.
As a bonus, the author mentions a blood-sucking Amazonian catfish called the candiru, which normally feeds on the gills of other fish, but occasionally latches onto humans in places you don't want to think about.
The book does not cover mosquitoes, as they are not obligate blood-feeders.
The final section (bedbugs, ticks, and mites) is probably the most unnerving because it hits closest to home. Bedbugs have been making a resurgence in recent years, while the enigmatic Lyme disease (spread by ticks) can be hard to diagnose and impossible to cure if not caught early.
As a bonus, the author mentions a blood-sucking Amazonian catfish called the candiru, which normally feeds on the gills of other fish, but occasionally latches onto humans in places you don't want to think about.
The book does not cover mosquitoes, as they are not obligate blood-feeders.
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