A national survey of Ixodidae ticks on privately owned dogs in Italy.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The geographical distribution of ticks on companion animals needs to be monitored to develop and plan effective control measures, as suggested by the European Scientific Counsel on Companion Animal Parasites. The aim of this study was to conduct the first Italian national survey of tick distribution on privately owned dogs.

Methods

The study was performed over 20 months (February 2016 - September 2017) and involved 153 veterinary practices in 64 different provinces covering 17/20 (85%) Italian regions. Participating practitioners were asked to examine five different dogs per month at random and complete a questionnaire for each dog. Differences in tick infestation associated with: sex, age and hair length (long and short); the dog's habitat (indoor or outdoor/kenn

SUBMITTER: Maurelli MP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6048866 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature