Review of ticks attacking domestic dogs and cats, and their epidemiological role in the transmission of tick-borne pathogens in Poland.

Abstract

Progressive climate change plays a major role in the expansion of tick populations, as well as the transmission of tick-borne disease pathogens (TBPs) to humans and animals throughout the world. Zoonoses are a growing environmental problem of great importance for public health. In Poland, domestic dogs and cats are mainly infested by Ixodes ricinus, Ixodes crenulatus, Ixodes hexagonus, Ixodes rugicollis and Dermacentor reticulatus ticks from the Ixodidae family. Other tick species, such as I.apronophorus and Haemaphysalis concinna, recorded sporadically on domestic dogs or cats, may expand their range in the future and successfully infest pets. Individual cases of infestations in Poland with foreign tick species, such as Rhipicephalus sanguineus, are known and may soon be recorded more frequently. The aim of this review is to summarize the occurrence and identification of tick species and TBDs that are present or are likely to spread in Poland, which, given the medical and veterinary importance of ticks, may help in the development of public health strategies. A comprehensive literature review of publications and own research and data analysis was performed, obtained from reports and scientific descriptions on the epidemiology of tick-borne diseases. The ecology of ticks and hosts in urban and suburban environments is critical for quantifying the parameters necessary for an initial risk assessment, and identifying public health strategies to control and prevent TBDs. In the future, these species may expand their range of occurrence and their host, becoming common members of the Polish tick fauna. Anaplasma, Babesia, Borrelia and Rickettsia spp. are the major TBPs in Poland, and their prevalence is usually higher in dogs than cats.