Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Do amitraz tick collars prevent deadly babesiosis in South African
By Last, R D et al.·Published in Journal of the South African Veterinary Association·2007·Vetdiagnostix-Veterinary Pathology Services·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: A field trial evaluation of the prophylactic efficacy of amitraz-impregnated collars against canine babesiosis (Babesia canis rossi) in South Africa.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 50 dogs in South Africa were tested to see if amitraz-impregnated collars could prevent a serious tick-borne disease called babesiosis, caused by Babesia canis rossi. Over six months, the dogs wearing the collars showed no signs of infection, while nearly 27% of the control dogs without the collars tested positive for the disease. This suggests that the amitraz collars were effective in protecting the dogs from getting infected. If you're concerned about babesiosis and tick prevention for your dog, these collars could be a good option.
People also search for: dog tick prevention collars · babesiosis in dogs symptoms · amitraz collar effectiveness
Abstract
South African canine babesiosis caused by Babesia canis rossi is a common clinical disease in dogs in South Africa and remains a significant cause of domestic dog mortality. To determine whether tick-repellent, 9% amitraz-impregnated tick collars (Preventic-Virbac) could prevent tick-borne exposure to B. canis rossi, 50 dogs were assigned to two groups. Group 1 (20 dogs), polymerase chain reaction (PCR)--and reverse line blot (RLB)-negative for B. canis rossi, were fitted with amitraz collars and blood samples collected monthly, over a 6-month period, and analysed for B. canis rossi. Group 2 (30 dogs) included 5 dogs selected on a month-by-month basis from a population of dogs from the same geographical area as the group 1 dogs, but with no history of previous tick control, which were blood-sampled together with the treatment group and analysed for B. canis rossi by PCR and RLB, to serve as the control group. Eight of the 30 control dogs (26.6%) were PCR/RLB positive for B. canis rossi, indicating high pathogen exposure during the trial period. All twenty of the treatment group dogs remained negative for B. canis rossi throughout the 6 months of the trial. These results suggest that the use of amitraz-impregnated collars had a significant effect on reducing infection with B. canis rossi.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17941596/