Infectious Diseases in the Algarve

TICKS  

In southern Portugal there are many diseases that your pet can contract from insect bites. Left untreated, all the diseases are potentially fatal. It is important for you to be aware of the dangers posed to your pet, so that you can offer it the best possible protection. The blood borne parasites are spread by mosquitoes, ticks and sandflies as they feed. We'll look at these diseases individually grouped on how they are transmitted.

TICKS

We see many cases of ‘tick fever' in the VIP hospital. Here in the Algarve there are three main infectious parasites that are spread by ticks, which cause disease in your dog. All of them are debilitating and all of them can be fatal. Some can also cause disease in humans.
The diseases that come under the umbrella of ‘tick fever' are:

Babesiosis
This blood borne parasite is spread by infected ticks when they feed. The parasites invade red blood cells (RBC's) and start to multiply rapidly inside them .These RBC's soon die and burst, releasing even more numbers of Babesia into the circulation. It is the burst RBC's that cause the clinical sign of Babesiosis, most commonly anaemia and jaundice.

 

Although treatment for Babesia is often successful, relapses do occur. There is a vaccine for Babesia but it is not 100% effective.

Ehrlichiosis
Ehrlichiosis is the most aggressive and acutely fatal of the tick-borne diseases. It can cause coma and rapid mortality soon after infection. Ehrlichiae are also transmitted by ticks when they attach themselves to your pet. They can survive in their tick hosts for 5 months. So, immature ticks that are infected in autumn act as a reservoir for infection to dogs in the following spring. Clinical signs start with bleeding from the gums, nose or other mucous membranes. They quickly advance to lethargy, depression, anaemia and worse.

Borreliosis (Lyme's disease)
The Borrelia parasite is also transmitted by feeding ticks, and (it too) can remain in a developing tick throughout the winter. BUT, a tick must be attached for 48hrs for transmission to occur. When the body's immune system attacks this organism a reaction follows which causes damage to the body itself. Because of this a number of different clinical signs can appear, such as lameness, weakness, seizures, anaemia. Borreliosis can be treated by a long course of antibiotics, but damage to organs like joints or the kidney can be permanent. There is a vaccine for Borrelia but it is not 100% effective.

Ticks are more prevalent in the warmer months, especially after a period of rain. Ticks can also carry more than of these parasites at the same time. And we have certainly seen dogs in the VIP hospital with more than one of these diseases at once. Obviously, having more than one of these infectious organisms in the host at the same time seriously increases the severity of disease and the decreases the chances of survival for the animal.

Using tick repellents on the skin is the best way to defend your dog against these terrible diseases. Ticks are stubborn and unfortunately none of the treatments will guarantee your dog of being tick-resistant. There are tick collars and spot-on treatments, and using both of these is the most you can do to help protect your dog from these potentially deadly diseases. Daily checking of your dog is the third arm of defence against ticks and it is a very important role you can play in your dog's health, especially in the high-risk period of spring and summer.

 

MOSQUITOS

Enter the mosquito. He (actually she) is the vector of transmission of heartworm. The larvae are spread by mosquitoes as they feed.

Heartworms are just as nasty as the name suggests. It is indeed a worm that grows inside the dog's heart and pulmonary blood vessels. They can grow to several inches long. The adult worms cause irritation to the blood vessels and heart muscle. This causes pressure to build up in the pulmonary (lung) circulation. Eventually fluid on the lung and damage to it causes lethargy and coughing, which are often the first clinical signs of heartworm infection.

 
 

Left unchecked the disease is certainly fatal. Treatment of an infected patient can also be fatal as the dying worms cause blockages in the blood vessels of the lungs. Patients need to be hospitalised for treatment because of these risks. Even if successfully treated, dogs can retain permanent damage to their blood vessel walls heart muscle and lung tissue. Heartworm can be prevented by monthly oral tablets or ‘chews', of which there are a number of licensed ones to ‘choose' from.

There is also an injection available to prevent against heartworm which will protect your dog for 12 months. Many people (your VIP vets, for instance) chose to synchronise this with their dog's yearly vaccinations.

A blood test is strongly recommended prior to starting preventative medicine, as some of these drugs can cause reactions in infected dogs, and also to avoid the dangers of a false sense of security regarding this terrible disease.

 

SANDFLIES

These little biters spread the terrible disease Leishmaniasis. It causes a range of problems throughout the body. Clinical signs mainly involve weight loss, poor coat condition and hair loss. It doesn't sound like much but it causes chronic debilitating disease that the immune system can never get rid of.

The organism sets up disease in many organs of the body. Although there are drugs to keep the disease at bay, it is rarely cured and more often than not the dog will die from complicating factors of infection.

    

Clinical signs of infection are often vague but non-healing, non-responsive skin lesions anywhere on the body (especially the ears, head, legs back and tail) are quite common with Leishmaniasis.

This is also a disease than humans can contract. Not directly from animals, but infected dogs do act as a reservoir of the organism for sandflies.

Spot-ons and collars are the best way to help repel the sandflies. These are the same preparations used for repelling ticks.

 


Many infectious canine diseases and parasites in the Algarve are rare in most of Europe, especially non-Mediterranean countries. When people move to areas where there are endemic diseases they must take precautions (e.g. malaria). The same goes for your dog.

Speak to our VIP staff about parasite prevention as part of your dog's health. Certainly at this time the year it is very important to be aware of the extra dangers your dog will be exposed to. Don't be scared...be aware.

Summer and spring are beautiful times to be in the Algarve for people and dogs. We want you all to enjoy it with peace of mind and joy in the sunshine.

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