Table 1 Major canine vector-borne diseases

Leishmania infantum

Phlebotomus sandflies (old world)

Dog is major reservoir of infection

[17]

(Leishmania chagasi)

Lutzomyia sandflies (new world)

Babesia vogeli

Rhipicephalus sanguineus

Not with canine pathogens

[103]

Babesia canis

Dermacentor spp.

Babesia rossi

Haemaphysalis leachi

Other large Babesia

Babesia gibsoni

Haemaphysalis spp.

Rhipicephalus sanguineus?

Babesia conradae

Unknown

Babesia microti-like (also known as Theileria annae)

Ixodes hexagonus (suspected)

Hepatozoon canis

Rhipicephalus sanguineus

Unlikely due to mode of transmission (ingestion of vector)

[104]

Hepatozoon americanum

Amblyomma maculatum

Ehrlichia canis

Rhipicephalus sanguineus

E. ewingii and E. chaffeensis are human pathogens, but role of the dog as a reservoir is unproven; human infections with E. canis are reported

[105, 106]

Ehrlichia ewingii

Amblyomma americanum

Ehrlichia chaffeensis

Amblyomma americanum

Anaplasma phagocytophilum

Ixodes ricinus

Important human pathogen

[105–107]

Anaplasma platys

Rhipicephalus sanguineus (suspected)

None recognized unequivocally

[105, 106]

Rickettsia rickettsii (Americas)

Dermacentor andersoni

Important human pathogen; people may become infected whilst removing engorged ticks from dogs; dogs maintain infested tick population in the domestic environment

[105]

Dermacentor variablis

Rickettsia conorii (Europe, Asia, Africa)

Rhipicephalus sanguineus

Borrelia (multiple species but primarily B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. garinii and B. afzelii)

Ixodes ticks (multiple species)

Dog is an 'accidental host' but may carry ticks into the domestic environment

[108, 109]

Bartonella vinsonii subspecies berkhoffii

Ticks proposed (fleas for cats)

Unknown if dogs are competent reservoirs; B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii (predominant canine isolate) is a rare cause of human infections

[36, 40]

Bartonella henselae

Bartonella clarridgeiae

Bartonella rochalimae

Bartonella quintana

Bartonella washoensis

Dirofilaria immitis

Mosquitoes

Rare human infections; incidental host

[110]

Mycoplasma haemocanis Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum

Rhipicephalus sanguineus (proposed)

No evidence for human infection

[111]