Canine Lyme disease-Companion Animal Parasite Council -CAPC
• Lyme disease in dogs is showing up in places it didn’t used to.
• That could mean humans are at increased risk for catching a disease that’s already on the rise in dogs.
• The analysis revealed evidence that Lyme disease is getting worse in some regions where it’s already endemic, such as Maine, West Virginia, Virginia, and New York.
• More problematic, the figures show that it could potentially be spreading to other, nonendemic areas, such as Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, and Tennessee
• Lyme disease is a vector-borne zoonotic (zoonotic disease is an infectious disease that is transmitted between species from animals to humans) disease spread by the bite of slow-feeding, hard-shelled deer ticks.
• There are several areas, especially in the Northeast, where risk of Lyme disease is increasing . . . at least for canines.”
• What about the widespread belief that Lyme disease is less of a concern in winter months?
• The CAPC recommends playing it safe: “For dogs, we would advocate for year-round prevention because even in winter months, adult ticks are present, can transmit [disease], and could be easily missed on a dog.” That goes for cats, too.
• The CAPC points out, by protecting their pets, clients reduce the risk of zoonotic transmission, which protects their families, too.
The CAPC’s website now provides 30-day forecasts for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases to help veterinarians, physicians, pet owners, and travelers assess the risk of exposure across the US and Canada.
• Lyme disease in dogs is showing up in places it didn’t used to.
• That could mean humans are at increased risk for catching a disease that’s already on the rise in dogs.
• The analysis revealed evidence that Lyme disease is getting worse in some regions where it’s already endemic, such as Maine, West Virginia, Virginia, and New York.
• More problematic, the figures show that it could potentially be spreading to other, nonendemic areas, such as Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, and Tennessee
• Lyme disease is a vector-borne zoonotic (zoonotic disease is an infectious disease that is transmitted between species from animals to humans) disease spread by the bite of slow-feeding, hard-shelled deer ticks.
• There are several areas, especially in the Northeast, where risk of Lyme disease is increasing . . . at least for canines.”
• What about the widespread belief that Lyme disease is less of a concern in winter months?
• The CAPC recommends playing it safe: “For dogs, we would advocate for year-round prevention because even in winter months, adult ticks are present, can transmit [disease], and could be easily missed on a dog.” That goes for cats, too.
• The CAPC points out, by protecting their pets, clients reduce the risk of zoonotic transmission, which protects their families, too.
The CAPC’s website now provides 30-day forecasts for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases to help veterinarians, physicians, pet owners, and travelers assess the risk of exposure across the US and Canada.