|
Pet diseases abroad
|
|
There are a number of disease
that you may encounter and should be aware of if you plan on taking your
pet abroad.
1.) Rabies
Rabies is a fatal viral disease
of the nervous system caused by a rhabdovirus which can affect all mammals
including humans.
The disease is usually spread by saliva from the bite of an infected animal.
Clinical signs include paralysis and aggression leading to a painful death.
Classical rabies was eradicated from the UK in 1922 and the Pet Travel Scheme
and quarantine help protect against infected animals entering the UK, but
because of the existence of the disease elsewhere there is concern about rabies
being reintroduced by illegally imported mammals.
2.) Leishmaniasis
All dogs that travel abroad, particularly
to Mediterranean countries, are at risk of contracting canine leishmaniasis
which is often fatal. Leishmaniasis is a zoonotic parasitic disease
transmitted through the bites of the phlebotomine sand flies and is the third
most important disease worldwide. Dogs can be bitten up to 100 times
an hour during the sand fly season, which begins in May and ends in September.
When an infected sand fly bites a dog, parasites are deposited on the skin.
A tiny skin lesion - called a chancre - appears at the site of the bite, usually
in the muzzle or the ear. The parasite then invades the dog’s cells, spreads
into the internal organs and may begin to damage the immune system.
3.) Heartworm
Heartworm is mostly prevalent
in southern France, Spain, Italy and the Mediterranean. Mosquitoes are responsible
for transmitting the disease to dogs and many different species of mosquitoes
can carry heartworm larvae.
Heartworm disease is a serious
and potentially fatal disease in dogs. It is caused by a ten-inch long parasite
called Dirofilaria immitus. These worms live in the heart and adjacent blood
vessels of infected dogs.
The disease is transmitted when mosquitos carry microscopic baby heartworms
from one dog to the next. It takes six months after your pet is bitten by
an infected mosquito for him to have adult worms in his heart.
British dogs could be more vulnerable
as they have never encountered the disease and therefore have no resistance.
4.) Babesiosis
Particularly prevalent in France,
babesiosis is a serious tick-borne protozoal disease caused by a parasite,
Babesia spp., which destroys white blood cells. In Europe, babesiosis is mainly
caused by Babesia canis canis and it is rare in the UK. However, the disease
is being diagnosed more frequently in travelling animals, since the introduction
of the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) in February 2000.
Babesiosis is a disease of the red blood cells caused by infection with
1 of a number of species of the tick-borne parasite, Babesia. It is
transmitted through tick-bites to dogs, in which they infect and proliferate
in red blood cells. Ticks will feed for up to three days before they transmit
infection. Susceptible dogs can die within a couple of days of the
clinical signs appearing.
In dogs, the symptoms of babesiosis can include: loss of appetite, fever,
anaemia , weakness and coffee-coloured urine. It can be fatal.
The disease is seen worldwide in dogs of all ages, although there seems
to be a higher incidence in younger dogs. There is a seasonal variation with
a higher frequency recorded in the warmer months (September-April). British
dogs are particularly vulnerable as they have never encountered the disease
and therefore have no resistance.
5.) Ehrlichiosis
The disease is particularly widespread in large parts of North and South
America, Europe (Mediterranean basin and the Rhone Valley), Asia and Africa.
British dogs are particularly vulnerable as they have never encountered
the disease and therefore have no resistance.
Ehrlichiosis is a tick-born disease of dogs characterized by fever, lethargy,
lameness and/or bleeding tendencies. It is caused by one of several rickettsial
organisms that belong to the genus, Ehrlichia. Ehrlichia canis (E. canis)
is the primary causative agent in dogs.It is transmitted through tick-bites
to dogs, in which they infect and proliferate in monocytes, which leads to
immune complex related diseases. Susceptible dogs can die within a couple
of days of the clinical signs appearing.
Rickettsia are small microscopic organisms that are different from both
bacteria and viruses. They enter various cells of the body and behave as
tiny parasites, eventually killing the cell. Ehrlichiosis occurs worldwide,
and it achieved prominence during the Vietnam War, when a large proportion
of military dogs contracted the disease. This disease is considered
as deadly as babesiosis.
The above information is simply informational.
It's intent is not to replace the advice of a veterinarian nor to assist you
in making a diagnosis of your pet. Please consult with your own veterinarian
for confirmation of any diagnosis. Your pets life may depend on it.