Ticks, fleas and mites are the most common external parasites found on the body of dogs. However, ticks are perhaps the most notorious of the three as they are responsible for causing a number of debilitating diseases.
(Image Courtesy : http://pets.webmd.com )
Table 1 : Diseases transmitted by Ticks in dogs
Ser No
|
Name of Tick
|
Disease transmitted by tick (vector)
|
Transmitted to Man
|
1.
|
Deer Tick
(Ixodes scapularis)
also known as black legged tick
|
Vector for 02 diseases viz. Lyme Disease, a disease caused by a bacteria (Borrelia burgdorferi) & Anaplasmosis, a disease caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum
|
Yes (for both diseases)
|
2.
|
Brown Dog Tick
(Rhipicephalus sanguineus)
|
Vector for 02 diseases viz. Ehrlichiosis – caused by an organism called Ehrlichia & Babesiosis – caused by an organism called Babesia
|
Yes (for both diseases)
|
3.
|
Lone star Tick
(Ambylomma americanum)
|
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever - caused by an organism called Rickettsia rickettsii
|
Yes
|
4.
|
American Dog Tick (Dermacentor variabilis)
|
Vector for 02 diseases Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever & Babesiosis
|
Yes
|
American Dog Tick (Dermacentor variabilis)
(Image Courtesy : Jerry Kirkhart via Wikimedia Commons)
Brown Dog Tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus)
(Image Courtesy : CDC Public Health Image Library)
Deer Tick (Ixodes scapularis)
(Image Courtesy : Public Domain Graphic, Agricultural Research Service, USDA)
Lone Star Tick (Ambylomma americanum)
(Image Courtesy : CDC Public Health Image Library)