Predominant risk factors for tick-borne co-infections in hunting dogs from the USA

• DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04118-x
• Publication Date: 2020-05-13T08:02:42Z
• Authors: Kurayi Mahachi; Eric Kontowicz; Bryan Anderson; Angela J. Toepp; Adam Leal Lima; Mandy Larson; Geneva Wilson; Tara Grinnage-Pulley; Carolyne Bennett; Marie Ozanne; Michael Anderson; Hailie Fowler; Molly Parrish; Jill Saucier; Phyllis Tyrrell; Zachary Palmer; Jesse Buch; Ramaswamy Chandra...; Breanna Scorza; Grant Brown; Jacob J. Oleson; Christine A. Pete...
• Keywords: Ehrlichiosis; Tick-borne disease; Seroprevalence; Anaplasmosis

Abstract Background Both incidence and geographical range of tick-borne disease has increased across the USA. Similar to people, dogs are hosts for Anaplasma spp., Babesia Ehrlichia spp. Borrelia burgdorferi. Dogs also share our homes beds, making them both a sentinel ticks in backyards but increasing exposure ticks. Measures better track, prevent, and/or treat diseases companion animals can lead control prevention human disease. This study identifies demographic co-infection risk factors canine seropositivity infections cohort hunting Results Human patterns USA have been predominantly driven by distribution tick vector. who tested seropositive were 1.40 times more likely ( P = 0.0242) test vice versa (1.60 likely, 0.0014). living West had 5% lower 0.0001) compared other regions. Controlling age seroprevalence, all three regions 2.30 0.0216) B. burgdorferi than West. 1.60 0.0473) be Conclusions Tick distributions prominent impact on regional dog diseases. Education concerning prevalence is important everyone, particularly owners, regarding their region protection from infection pathogens as they travel or move with dogs. species ticks, such surveillance understanding probability that these might seen together co-infections helps predict emerging areas where people exposed well.