Monitoring pyroplasmosis in cans as a tool for control of tick-borne infections in humans (based on data from a veterinary clinic in TaNAD)

The role of monitoring canine babesiosis in the epidemiological surveillance of tick-borne infections in specific areas is examined. Dogs' high susceptibility to babesiosis allows them to be used as "biological indicators," first detecting tick activity in urban and natural environments. Tick-borne infections in humans and dogs spread in parallel, with the "canine peak" outpacing that in humans by 7-14 days. The authors compared canine babesiosis statistics, using the Vetgrad Veterinary Clinic (TiNAO) as an example, with Rospotrebnadzor reports on human tick bites over the past five years. It was found that the increase in canine cases, characterized by a pronounced two-wave seasonality, is directly correlated with the frequency of human visits to medical facilities.
The increase in the number of infected animals indicates a high density of infested ticks, which is associated with an increased risk of human infection with tick-borne infections. The tick-borne pathogen Babesia canis is virtually harmless to humans, but it "signals" the presence of infected ticks in the environment.
Detection of Dermacentor reticulatus also indicates the presence of Ixodes ricinus, as their habitat preferences largely overlap in mixed landscapes, creating combined activity centers. The proximity of these species in the same area expands the range of pathogens dangerous to humans, increasing the risk of contracting a wide range of infections. In such mixed zones, both ticks are involved in the circulation of tick-borne encephalitis, borreliosis, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, and babesiosis, creating the risk of developing severe "mixed infections."
Veterinary data makes it possible to predict epidemic risks in advance and plan acaricidal treatments, making animal monitoring essential for urban environmental safety.

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