were least commonly detected in the present study, likely due to a dearth of vector ticks in the region. of the nation ((sp. ticks; is the vector for CD127 the eastern half of Canada and the most important vector in British Columbia [6]. Ticks harbouring have been identified throughout central and eastern Canada, including parts of Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick [7]. LB-endemic areas of Canada are defined as locations where all three life stages of the tick (larva, nymph, adult) have been collected for two consecutive years and infection has been confirmed in ticks or vertebrate hosts [8]. LB is the most commonly reported vector-borne disease in people in the USA [9]; approximately 25, 000 cases are reported each year in the USA, while in Canada, approximately 900 new cases were reported in 2015, growing from only 140 cases in 2009 2009 [10, 11]. This higher risk of infection in the US is also seen in pet dogs. Between 2012 and 2014, 7.2% of dogs tested had antibodies to in the USA [12]. In contrast, only 0.7% and 2.1% of dogs were reported to test positive in Canada in 2008C2010, respectively [13, 14]. microfilariae when feeding on infected dogs and transmit the third-stage larvae, which then migrate and develop within dogs [15, 16]. The presence of adult heartworms in the pulmonary vasculature is a potential source of significant pathology [17C19]. Heartworm infection has been reported in dogs in Canada since 1977, but the prevalence has remained relatively Nafamostat hydrochloride low at around 0.2% [13, 20]. Because heartworm has historically been relatively uncommon in the region, most Canadian veterinary parasitologists recommend a seasonal preventive strategy. In addition, yearly testing is recommended for patients in high-risk groups, including dogs who travel to endemic areas or those not receiving any preventive, or those on a preventive with poor compliance [21]. Interestingly, over 77% of dogs that tested positive for infection with in one report had no travel history outside the region, supporting autochthonous infection, albeit at a low level [13]. The rickettsial agents are all tick-borne bacterial pathogens infecting leukocytes or platelets of their host [22]. These agents induce similar clinical signs and laboratory findings ranging from fever, anorexia, myalgia, and thrombocytopenia to severe manifestations such as epistaxis and death [22]. is transmitted through the bite of an spp. tickand is the causative agent of human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) [23]. Previous canine serologic surveys in Canada have reported that the prevalence of dogs with antibodies to is rising, with no dogs testing positive in 2006 but a prevalence ranging between 0.2C1.1% just five years later [13, 14, 24]. and infects platelets of dogs [25, 26]. In a previous study, 1.8% of dogs tested in Canada were reported to have antibodies to [14]. is the causative agent of canine monocytic ehrlichiosis, and is also transmitted by is the causative agent of canine granulocytic ehrlichiosis and is transmitted by The range of has dramatically expanded northward and eastward in recent decades [29]. While populations are not yet considered established in Canada, the tick is occasionally reported from domestic dogs in Ontario with no travel history out of the region (Peregrine unpublished). Of the two, only has been reported in Canada previously, with 3.2% of dogs tested having antibodies to the pathogen, while 0/285 dogs tested positive for or [14]. Evidence of past or current Nafamostat hydrochloride infection with all of these Nafamostat hydrochloride pathogens can be identified with assays commonly used for annual heartworm testing and as a screening tool for tick-borne infections, and the composite results can be evaluated on both a local and national level. For example, by reviewing the changing prevalence of antibody-positive.
