Current situation regarding tick infestations in dogs from Tulcea county

Abstract

The importance of ticks in the context of One Health is well known, as they represent a significant vector for a variety of pathogens for both animals and humans. Climate change has influenced in a significant way the distribution of different species of ticks throughout the world, especially through the increasing temperature. The aim of this study was to determine a preliminary situation of tick distribution in dogs from Tulcea county, between May 2023 and June 2024. Feeding ticks were collected from dogs, during peak season of tick activity (May-July; September-November), summing up a total of 860 ticks of all biological stages (larva, nymph, male, female). Morphological identification was subsequently performed under a stereomicroscope and resulted in the differentiation of 3 species: Rhipicephalus sanguineus complexthe predominant species, 94.07%, (n=809 individuals), Ixodes ricinus, 4.42%, (n=38 individuals), Dermacentor marginatus, 1.51%. (n=13 individuals). These findings emphasize the presence of various species of ticks, with a high potential of transmission of different pathogens, which pose a real threat to both human and animal health. The present study is a preliminary one, as further investigations will be carried out on the identified ticks in order to assess their pathogen load.