References
Tick-borne diseases in dogs
Abstract
Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) can have serious impact on the health and welfare of dogs, and have been described in all continents. The expanding number of tick-borne pathogens, the broad geographic range of many tick species, the ability of tick-borne pathogens to induce infections, and the highly zoonotic potential of some of these pathogens make TBDs the most important subcategory of canine vector-borne infectious diseases worldwide. Indeed, emerging TBDs have become a concern for pet owners and veterinary professionals. The occurrence of babesiosis in a cluster of dogs from Harlow, Essex in 2016 has raised some concerns regarding the inevitable increase in the risk of TBDs particularly after the relaxation of pet travel rules. In addition to babesiosis that has dominated recent headlines other TBDs such as Lyme borreliosis have more quietly expanded to many parts of the country. The large number of tick-borne pathogens, the diversity of tick vectors, the broad range of animal reservoir hosts, limitations associated with diagnosis and treatment, and the ecological complexity of tick-borne pathogens make effective control of TBDs a challenging task. Therefore, it is important for veterinary professionals to be able to detect TBDs early and accurately in order to minimise the morbidity and mortality of these diseases. This article provides an update on some of the most common TBDs in dogs, namely babesiosis, hepatozoonosis, borreliosis, anaplasmosis, and ehrlichiosis. The key roles that veterinary nurses can play to support pet owners in recognising and dealing with ticks and TBDs are also discussed.
Infections transmitted by ticks are increasingly recognised as important causes of disease in dogs. Canine protozoal, rickettsial and bacterial tick-borne diseases, such as babesiosis, borreliosis, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, are some of the diseases that have been described with increasing frequency throughout the world in recent years (Githeko, 2000). Better animal care, better diagnostic tools used by microbiologists and parasitologists, the curiosity of veterinarians faced with unusual clinical syndromes in their patients, and a broader geographic distribution of the tick vector through pet travels, translocation or commercial trade of pet dogs, are some of the factors contributing to the emergence and increased recognition of these, and potentially other, tick-borne diseases (TBDs).
In recent years, the geographic range of many of TBDs has expanded and several novel infections have been described, suggesting that the range of pathogens transmitted by ticks is more extensive than previously assumed. Babesia and other tick-borne pathogens share a common link, which is tick transmission. Specific tick species preferentially transmit different pathogens, dogs can be sequentially or simultaneously infested with more than one tick species, and a single tick can transmit more than one pathogen leading to co-infections. Both the tick species and the pathogens that they transmit can vary substantially within and between various geographic regions. These factors make the diagnosis and medical management of TBDs a complex and challenging task for veterinary professionals.
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