Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How weather affects tick paralysis cases in dogs and cats in eastern
By Teo, Ejm et al.·Published in Australian veterinary journal·2023·Department of Parasitology, Australia·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: The weather determines the number of cases of tick paralysis in dogs and cats in eastern Australia, caused by Ixodes holocyclus, the eastern paralysis tick.
Plain-English summary
A study in eastern Australia found that tick paralysis in dogs and cats, caused by the eastern paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus, accounted for over 16,000 emergency vet visits. The number of cases varied with the weather, with winter conditions affecting when the tick season starts and summer conditions influencing how many cases occur. The availability of tick prevention medications containing isoxazoline also played a significant role in reducing the number of tick paralysis cases. Pet owners should be aware that weather changes can impact tick activity and consider using preventative treatments to protect their pets.
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Abstract
We studied over 222,000 cases of emergency veterinary consultations in four regions along the eastern coast of Australia. We found that cases of tick paralysis (TP) caused by the eastern paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus, accounted for 7.5% of these cases: >16,000 cases. The season of TP and the number (prevalence) of TP cases varied among regions and over the years. Our study of the association between weather and (i) the start of the season of TP, and (ii) the number of TP cases revealed much about the intricate relationship between the weather and I. holocyclus. We studied the effect of the hypothetical availability of isoxazoline-containing tick-preventative medicines and found that an increase in the availability of these medicines had significantly contributed to the decrease in TP cases. We found that the weather in winter accounted for the time of the year the season of TP starts whereas the weather in summer accounted for the number of TP cases in the TP season. Last, through a study of the effects of shifts in the climate under four hypothetical scenarios (warmer/cooler and drier/wetter than average), we propose that the start of the season of TP depends on how soon the weather in winter becomes suitable for the activity (e.g. host-seeking) and the development of I. holocyclus nymphs, and that the number of TP cases during the TP season depends on how many engorged female ticks and their eggs survive during summer.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37772326/