BY: SAMANTHA BARTLETT, DVM
The CDC reports vector borne disease in humans has tripled in the past 13 years with 75% of these cases reported from tick-borne diseases. Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi) is the most commonly reported tick-borne disease of humans in the United States and its geographic range is growing. Once a disease of a few Northeastern states, the black-legged tick species that carry the bacteria causing Lyme disease is now found in about 50% of U.S. counties. The problem with these statistics is that they may be underrepresenting the actual number of incidences of tick-borne disease. Testing for specific diseases (especially Lyme) is problematic and many cases are not reported by victims or not diagnosed by doctors. Tracking of the ticks’ geographic range is also difficult as many entities do not have established tick surveillance programs.
Pets are often the link between ticks in the environment and their contact with humans. A dog that is not properly protected against ticks can easily bring ticks into the home, making it vulnerable to infestation and exposing the humans that live there.
The CDC suggests reasons behind the increase in tick-borne disease include the increased mobility of society, climate change, and inadequate prevention efforts on the state and federal levels. Diagnostics for Lyme disease test for antibodies, which may not show up until 4 to 6 weeks of infection. Because of this, physicians and veterinarians routinely begin treatment for suspected Lyme cases without confirming diagnosis and thus, often do not report such cases. To counter these issues, new methods of diagnosing Lyme and a new vaccine for humans is on the horizon. In the meantime, officials recommend tick control as the best method for preventing tick-borne diseases. This includes protecting pets against ticks not only for their health but to prevent the spread of ticks and tick-borne diseases to humans.
A recent article discusses risks of tick exposure for pet owners and found that pet owners were twice as likely to find ticks crawling on them and 1.5 times more risk of tick attachment compared to non-pet owners. This is especially of concern for people living in disease endemic areas. However, also of note is that people are traveling with their pets now more than ever. With the end of the summer school holiday and the beginning of cooler weather, many people will continue to take trips for outdoor activities and bring the family dog with them. Depending on the location and activity, ticks can be a very real threat. A good example of the the effect our mobile society has on ticks is the recent discovery of an Asian species of tick in the United States. At this point it is unknown the significance of this discovery, but the Longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis) has been found in several states and is known to carry zoonotic disease in Asia, Australia and New Zealand, but currently has not been found to carry pathogens here in the United States.
It is important to remind people of the importance of good tick prevention for their pet especially if traveling to areas where tick-borne disease is a known thereat. Even with tick prevention on board, it is a good habit for owners to carefully examine their pet for ticks, particularly if those pets spend a large amount of time in the home with owners. In addition, people should take measures to protect themselves and their children before participating in outdoor activities in areas where ticks are likely to be found.
