References
Do clients know enough to protect their pets and themselves from tick-borne diseases?
Abstract
Ticks are not only capable of causing damage to their host through their physical attachment but also through their ability to act as a vector for various viral, bacterial and protozoal diseases both abroad and in the UK. Sauer et al (2000) discuss how when feeding, in order to concentrate their blood meal, ticks go through periods of sucking followed by periods of excretion which lengthen as time progresses. It is this excretion back into the host that allows for the transmission of infectious pathogens (Sauer et al, 2000). Additionally as feeding time lengthens the likelihood of transmission occurring is increased (Schoeman and Leisewitz, 2006; Health Protection Agency, 2012a).
Ticks are endemic throughout the UK but in greater densities in certain areas, possibly due to greater quantities of woodland/scrubland in such areas which provide an ideal environment for ticks to reside. In recent years the abundance and distribution of ticks has increased (Scharlemann et al, 2008) and their activity throughout the year prolonged (Smith et al, 2011). This is likely due to changes in climate, change in landscape such as reforestation and increases in the populations of wild hosts such as roe deer (Gilbert, 2010; Beugnet et al, 2011). Within the UK, Ixodes ricinus the ‘sheep tick’ is the most abundant and widely distributed species of tick (Pietzsch, 2005; Smith et al, 2011). Other species that have been identified within the UK, although to a lesser degree, are Dermacentor reticulatus and Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Hoyle et al, 2001; Jameson et al, 2010). In contrast to most tick species R. sanguineus has adapted to survive in more urban environments, such as kennels and attics, potentially increasing the risk of contact with humans and their companion animals (Cousquer, 2006; Little et al, 2007).
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