in three imported dogs: a new tickborne disease reaching the United Kingdom.

Abstract

An increasing number of non-endemic vectorborne pathogens have been described in dogs imported to the UK in the past two decades. Recently, an outbreak of canine babesiosis in south-east England has raised veterinary awareness with regard to the impact of such diseases on the UK canine population. Canine hepatozoonosis, caused byand transmitted by the ingestion ofticks, is widespread in the Mediterranean basin. Herein we describe the first three molecularly confirmed clinical cases of canine hepatozoonosis in dogs imported into the UK. Veterinarians in the UK should be aware ofas a potential infection in imported dogs, especially in the face of the expanding distribution ofticks in Europe.