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Vector-borne disease distributions and risks to the UK

02 June 2020
Clinical
13 mins read
02 June 2020
Volume 11 · Issue 5
Figure 1. Heavy infestation by Rhipicephalus sanguineus in a dog from a shelter in insular Greece (courtesy of Simone Morelli).

Abstract

In the recent decades, the geographic distribution of vector-borne diseases (VBDs) of dogs and cats has changed for intrinsic and extrinsic reasons. Therefore some infections/infestations, some of zoonotic concern, have been recorded in geographic areas where they were unexpected. In Europe, arthropods (e.g. ticks, fleas, mosquitoes and sand flies) and the pathogens that they transmit are in general considered to be more frequent in the Mediterranean Basin. Nonetheless, a possible occurrence in other regions should not be a priori excluded, given that travels of animals (to or imported from endemic areas), movements of goods and global warming all may foster the introduction of vectors and/or transmitted pathogens in previously free areas. This could also be the case in the UK, which, because of its territorial characteristics as an island area in north-western Europe, is traditionally considered at minor risk of VBDs. Given the growing increase of movements and travels of pets, and changes in the phenology of many arthropod vectors, it is crucial that veterinary practitioners are aware of and prepared to diagnose, treat and control a series of unexpected diseases.

Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) of pets are illnesses caused by viruses, bacteria, protozoa and helminths transmitted through the action of arthropod vectors such as ticks, fleas, mosquitoes and sand flies. Pathogens that can be transmitted by the bites of arthropods include, for example, tick-borne bacteria (Ehrlichia spp., Anaplasma spp. and Rickettsia spp.), protozoa (Babesia spp., Cytauxzoon spp. and Hepatozoon spp.) and viruses (various encephalitis viruses); flea-borne bacteria (Bartonella spp.); sand fly-transmitted protozoa (Leishmania infantum); and mosquito-borne viruses (e.g. West Nile virus) and nematodes (Dirofilaria spp.). Many can cause severe or even fatal clinical disease in companion animals, while others have an important zoonotic potential. Factors such as stray animals, increased movements, import and travels of pets, climate change and intensification of the international trade of goods are modifying the epizootiology of VBDs in Europe. While the Mediterranean basin is a major epidemiologic hub for VBDs, the realistic risk of establishment of VBDs in other regions traditionally considered free of these infections should not be overlooked.

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cat
climate change
diseases
dog
vector