The Epidemiology of Ticks of Companion Animal Health Significance Submitted from Cats and Dogs Participating in the Canadian Pet Tick Survey

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DeWinter, Sydney

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University of Guelph

Abstract

The major objectives of this thesis were to determine baseline distributions, infestation patterns and risk factors for companion animal tick acquisition, in Canada. Two thousand three hundred and twenty-five submissions, totalling in 4454 ticks, were submitted from 94 veterinary clinics across Canada, from April 2019 – March 2020. Of the submissions, 1603 comprised Ixodes spp., and 702 comprised Dermacentor spp. Ixodes scapularis and I. cookei were well distributed across central and eastern Canada. Ixodes pacificus submissions were restricted to British Columbia. Dogs of the herding, mixed breed small and large, sporting, terrier, working, toy breed groups, and spayed cats were more likely to acquire I. scapularis, compared to the non-sporting breed group, and male cats. Clear tick species-specific infestation patterns were observed, with I. scapularis more likely to be found on an animals’ shoulder, and D. variabilis more likely to be found on the ears and neck of dogs.

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Keywords

Ixodes spp, One Health, Companion animal, Epidemiology, Climate change

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