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But is this the result of improved laboratory tests and better detection, or is the nation\u2019s tick population growing and branching out into uncharted territory? It\u2019s true that the company\u2019s SNAP 4Dx Plus test, which screens for a number of common tick-borne pathogens, was recently upgraded to include antibody detection for\u00a0Ehrlichia ewingii<\/em>, but that\u2019s only part of the story, says Susan Little, DVM, PhD, DEVPC (right), professor of veterinary parasitology at Oklahoma State University. \u201cThat test has wider platform and is detecting an agent that we didn\u2019t previously have serologic assays to detect,\u201d she says. \u201cBut the vector tick that transmits\u00a0Ehrlichia ewingii<\/em>, the most common\u00a0Ehrlichia<\/em>\u00a0species infecting dogs in the U.S., now has a broader geographic distribution, too.\u201d<\/p>\n Ehrlichia ewingii<\/em>\u00a0is transmitted by the lone star tick, and dogs in the southern part of the U.S. have always been at risk for this type of\u00a0Ehrlichiosis<\/em>, due to the tick\u2019s overwhelming presence in that region. But even that indigenous tick population is growing, says Little, and now the lone star tick is migrating north into much of the eastern two-thirds of the country.<\/p>\n However, Little is encouraged by the fact that laboratories such as IDEXX are striving to create better diagnostic tests that pick up more disease-causing agents, like\u00a0Ehrlichia ewingii<\/em>. \u201cWe need to characterize the full gamut of what\u2019s out there and have diagnostic tests that identify the infection,\u201d she says. \u201cMany veterinarians recognize that a patient has a tick-borne disease, but they\u2019re not able to figure out what it is.\u201d<\/p>\n But that could be changing, as evidenced by the recent upgrade in the IDEXX test. \u201cWhile many veterinarians in highly endemic areas are familiar with acute\u00a0E. ewingii<\/em>\u00a0infections, we don\u2019t know a lot about this pathogen because testing for it has been limited until now,\u201d says Melissa Beall, DVM, PhD, manager of medical affairs at IDEXX. \u201cIDEXX is excited to be able to help veterinarians screen for a pathogen and evidence of a tick species that is fast becoming a larger threat to people and pets in more parts of the country.\u201d<\/p>\n In order to keep that threat to a minimum, Little suggests that veterinarians follow the Companion Animal Parasite Council\u2019s recommendations and urge clients to practice year-round tick control and prevention. \u201cWe need to be more adamant with clients about year-round tick control for dogs and cats,\u201d Little says. \u201cTick control protects dogs and cats from tick-borne diseases\u2014the ones we know about and the ones we\u2019re still finding out about.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n HOW DO WE FIX THIS ISSUE DOCTOR ANDY???? By purchasing Revolution at our office this will not only take care of your fleas and heartworms prevention but it also takes care of the most common ticks. But when you purchase here in the office you are welcome to a free tick collar!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Improved detection confirms significant threat from lone star tick, supports need for year-round tick control in dogs and cats. IDEXX Laboratories recently reported that dogs in the south central and eastern regions of the country are being exposed to a … Continue reading