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Common Tick Borne Diseases
Lyme disease is caused by the bacteria called Borrelia Burgdorferi. It was discovered by Dr. Willy Burgdorfer in Lyme, CT. Lyme disease was first discovered in 1982, although it wasn’t recognized in dogs until 1985.
The Deer Tick is the most common carrier of Lyme. In order for the Borrelia bacteria to be transmitted, the tick must be attached to its host for 48-72 hours. The most common symptom of Lyme disease is lameness.
Massachusetts has had over 25,000 reported cases of Lyme disease. Over 5,500 of those reports have been from the Middlesex County.
Anaplasmosis is often confused with Lyme disease because it also causes lameness. It was first reported in dogs in 1996. The primary vector for Anaplasma in the Northeast is the Deer Tick. The tick must be attached to its host for at least 24 hours to be able to transmit the disease.
Infection with Anaplasma results in a cycle of abnormal decrease in the number of blood platelets.
Massachusetts has had over 4,000 reported cases of Anaplasma; over 600 of those cases were in Middlesex County.
Ehrlichiosis is the second most common canine infectious disease in the United States. Also known as, “The Tracker Dog Disease,” Ehrlichiosis is caused by the ehrlichia organism. It is transmitted by the Brown Dog Tick and the Lone Star Tick. The ehrlichia organism can live in a tick for up to 5 months, which means that a tick could get infected in the fall, and then infect your dog in the spring.
Massachusetts has had over 1,200 reported cases of Ehrlichiosis; almost 300 of those cases were in Middlesex County.
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