Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Risk factors and spread of tick and mosquito diseases in dogs
By Yuasa, Yumi et al.·Published in Comparative immunology, microbiology and infectious diseases·2012·Department of Veterinary Medicine·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: The comparison of spatial variation and risk factors between mosquito-borne and tick-borne diseases: Seroepidemiology of Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma species, and Dirofilaria immitis in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that certain infections in dogs, like ehrlichiosis (a tick-borne disease), anaplasmosis (another tick-borne disease), and heartworm (a mosquito-borne disease), have different risk factors based on where dogs live and how they are kept. Dogs that are older or live outdoors are at a higher risk for heartworm, while male dogs and those with tick infestations are more likely to get ehrlichiosis. The research suggests that the environment plays a big role in how these diseases spread. Keeping your dog indoors and protected from ticks and mosquitoes can help reduce their risk of these infections.
People also search for: dog heartworm prevention · tick-borne disease in dogs · symptoms of ehrlichiosis in dogs
Abstract
Canine ehrlichiosis/anaplasmosis and heartworm diseases are vector-borne and zoonotic infections. To compare epidemiology of these vector-borne diseases, a community-based study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence and risk factors of Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma sp. and Dirofilaria immitis infections among healthy pet dogs. Prevalence distribution patterns were geographically contrasting between tick-borne E. canis/Anaplasma sp. infections and mosquito-borne D. immitis infection. Although highly enzootic communities of ehrlichiosis/anaplasmosis scattered in mountainous environment at elevations between 100m and 1000m, those of heartworm disease mainly distributed in urbanized plains. After multiple logistic regression analysis, it further showed that older age group and outdoor housing were associated with higher risk of heartworm infection; being male and having tick infestation associated with higher risk of E. canis infection whereas being male and free-roaming associated with higher risk of Anaplasma infection. These findings may reflect different vectors for disease transmission, and different kinetics of environment-pathogen-host interaction.
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/22925931/