Parasitology

Pet Poison Helpline offers advice to pet owners following the EPA's investigation of spot-on products.

Duluth, Ga. -- Merial and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have worked out a new system to ease the shortage of its heartworm treatment Immiticide, the company reports.

The common ticks on dogs and cats in North America are all three host ticks. Accordingly, the larvae, nymphs, and adults of each species must each quest, attach to a host, and feed before leaving the host to molt or deposit eggs in the environment.

Testing for Lyme disease and anaplasmosis often involves detection of antibodies. Antibodies may be detected on a patient-side assay such as the 3Dx/4Dx SNAP tests or using IFA at a reference lab. The SNAP test uses C6 as the target antigen and thus the B. burgdorferi result is very specific.

In many areas of the US, tick populations are dense, and at certain times of the year and when climatic factors are ideal, tick activity may be very high, overwhelming the ability of an acaricide to control ticks on dogs.

Despite the advent of highly effective, easily administered broad-spectrum parasite control products for cats, infection with intestinal parasites in general, and ascarids (roundworms) in particular, remains a common finding in cats.

Vector-borne diseases have taken on increasing importance in both veterinary and human medicine as new diseases continue to become recognized and established, vector populations spread, and the potential for transmission of infectious diseases between people and pets is increasingly understood.

Vector-borne diseases in general, and tick-borne diseases in particular, are increasingly recognized as important in both veterinary medicine and public health. In recent years, new disease agents have been identified in both dogs and people, tick populations have increased in number and extent of geographic distribution, and the potential for transmission of disease agents to people and dogs appears to be increasing.

Las Vegas - New data suggests that nearly half of the states in this country reported 500-plus Lyme positive dogs between 2001 and July 2009.

You know that only a veterinarian should remove ticks from pets. But do your clients know?

After explaining core vaccines, ask questions about the pet's and client's lifestyle.

Test your knowledge of these little suckers and the diseases they transmit.

More and more, veterinarians are being asked to answer questions regarding potentially zoonotic diseases. When it comes to bartonellosis, the answers can be particularly tough to formulate because of the disease?s frequently vague or absent clinical signs and the difficulty in identifying and controlling the infection.

Fleas are still the most common cause for parasite induced pruritic skin problems. Since the nineteen's many different drugs and preventative have been introduced to prevent and to treat flea infestation, and certainly the occurrence of severe widespread infestations have declined.

Schaumburg, Ill. -- The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is seeking public comment on new two veterinary specialties in animal welfare and parasitology.

Help clients learn about the basics of zoonotic diseases and parasites with these five handouts on toxoplasmosis, hookworms, tapeworms, roundworms, and Lyme disease.

An in-depth chart of common zoonoses just in time for the spring parasite explosion.

Sweeping regulatory changes a result of adverse reactions.

Details about toxoplasmosis for technicians.

Details about the tapeworms for technicians.

This in-depth chart of six common zoonoses is just in time for the spring parasite explosion.

Details about Lyme disease for technicians.

Details about cryptosporidiosis for technicians.

Details about the roundworms for technicians.

Test your knowledge of ticks and tick-borne diseases with this short quiz.

Heartworm: An emerging disease? It may seem to be an odd title when you consider Dirofilaria immitis was discovered in Italy in 1626, and the first reported case in the United States was in 1847.

Dr. Edward Breitschwerdt provides insight into his bartonellosis research.

In an article recently published in Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice, Drs. Byron Blagburn and Michael Dryden provide a comprehensive overview of flea and tick biology, treatment, and control.

CAPC executive director Dr. Michael Paul addresses questions about heartworm disease in cats.

National Report - Vector-borne diseases have the attention of the nation's parasitologists this year. And they are watching for signs of migration and disease spread.