Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Leishmania, Babesia, and Rickettsia found in ticks from Italian dogs
By Trotta, Michele et al.·Published in Ticks and tick-borne diseases·2012·Laboratorio d'Analisi Veterinarie San Marco, Italy·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Detection of Leishmania infantum, Babesia canis, and rickettsiae in ticks removed from dogs living in Italy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs in Italy showed signs of tick-borne diseases, and researchers found ticks on these dogs that carried harmful germs. Specifically, they detected Leishmania infantum, Rickettsia spp., and Babesia canis in some of the ticks. The ticks were identified as different species, with the most common being Rhipicephalus sanguineus. This study highlights the importance of checking for ticks on dogs, especially in areas where these diseases are present, to help prevent illness.
People also search for: dog ticks Italy · symptoms of tick-borne diseases in dogs · Leishmania treatment for dogs
Abstract
The aims of this study were to determine natural infections by Anaplasma phagocytophilum/Anaplasma platys, Bartonella henselae, Ehrlichia canis, Leishmania infantum, Rickettsia spp., Babesia spp., and Hepatozoon spp. by molecular methods in ticks (n=91) removed from dogs with clinical signs and laboratory abnormalities compatible with tick-borne diseases (n=22) living in Italy and to assess the distribution and species of ticks encountered. Ticks from dogs living in southern Italy were all identified as Rhipicephalus sanguineus (n=25), ticks from central Italy included Rh. sanguineus (n=8) and Ixodes ricinus (n=9), ticks from northern Italy included Rh. sanguineus (n=45), Dermacentor marginatus (n=3), and one I. ricinus. Leishmania infantum, Rickettsia spp., and Babesia canis were the only pathogens detected in 7 (8%), 4 (4%), and 2 (2%) out of 91 ticks, respectively. L. infantum was detected in I. ricinus from central Italy and in Rh. sanguineus from northern and central Italy. Rickettsia conorii and Ri. massiliae were detected in Rh. sanguineus ticks from central and southern Italy (Sicily), respectively. Bab. canis was detected in D. marginatus ticks from northern Italy.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23182545/