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Review
. 2021 Jun:294:109392.
doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2021.109392. Epub 2021 Feb 19.

Ticks infesting dogs and cats in North America: Biology, geographic distribution, and pathogen transmission

Meriam N Saleh  1 , Kelly E Allen  2 , Megan W Lineberry  1 , Susan E Little  1 , Mason V Reichard  1
Affiliations
Review

Ticks infesting dogs and cats in North America: Biology, geographic distribution, and pathogen transmission

Meriam N Saleh et al. Vet Parasitol. 2021 Jun.

Abstract

A diverse array of ixodid and argasid ticks infest dogs and cats in North America, resulting in skin lesions, blood loss, and disease. The ticks most commonly found on pets in this region are hard ticks of the genera Amblyomma, Dermacentor, Ixodes, and Rhipicephalus, as well as the more recently established Haemaphysalis longicornis. Soft tick genera, especially Otobius and Ornithodoros, are also reported from pets in some regions. In this review, we provide a summary of the complex and diverse life histories, distinct morphologies, and questing and feeding behaviors of the more common ticks of dogs and cats in North America with a focus on recent changes in geographic distribution. We also review pathogens of dogs and cats associated with the different tick species, some of which can cause serious, potentially fatal disease, and describe the zoonotic risk posed by ticks of pets. Understanding the natural history of ticks and the maintenance cycles responsible for providing an ongoing source of tick-borne infections is critical to effectively combatting the challenges ticks pose to the health of pets and people.

Keywords: Amblyomma; Cat; Dermacentor; Dog; Haemaphysalis; Ixodes; Ornithodoros; Otobius; Rhipicephalus; Tick.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest

In the past five years, MNS, KEA, MWL, SEL, and MVR have received honoraria or research support from multiple veterinary pharmaceutical companies directly or through their involvement with the National Center for Veterinary Parasitology. These activities were unrelated to the current review and the authors declare no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, or publication of this article.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Dorsal and lateral view of non-fed and fed female and male Amblyomma americanum.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Amblyomma americanum, lone star tick, dorsal and ventral view of each stage and description of key morphologic features. From top to bottom: Female, male, nymph, larva. Descriptions adapted from: 1Keirans, J.E., and T.R. Litwak. 1989. Pictorial key to the adults of hard ticks, family Ixodidae (Ixodida: Ixodoidea), East of the Mississippi River. Journal of Medical Entomology 26: 435–448. 2Cooley, R.A., G.M. Kohls. 1944. The genus Amblyomma (Ixodidae) in the United States. Journal of Parasitology. 30: 77–111. 3Keirans, J.E., and L.A. Durden. 1998. Illustrated key to the nymphs of the tick genus Amblyomma (Acari: Ixodidae) found in the United States. Journal of Medical Entomology 35: 489–495. 4Coley, K. 2015. Identification Guide to Larval Stages of Ticks of Medical Importance in the USA. University Honors Program Thesis, paper 110. Georgia Southern University.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
Amblyomma maculatum, Gulf Coast tick, dorsal and ventral view of each stage and description of key morphologic features. From top to bottom: Female, male, nymph, larva. Descriptions adapted from: 1Keirans, J.E., and T.R. Litwak. 1989. Pictorial key to the adults of hard ticks, family Ixodidae (Ixodida: Ixodoidea), East of the Mississippi River. Journal of Medical Entomology 26: 435–448. 2Cooley, R.A., G.M. Kohls. 1944. The genus Amblyomma (Ixodidae) in the United States. Journal of Parasitology. 30: 77–111. 3Keirans, J.E., and L.A. Durden. 1998. Illustrated key to the nymphs of the tick genus Amblyomma (Acari: Ixodidae) found in the United States. Journal of Medical Entomology 26: 489–495. 4Coley, K. 2015. Identification Guide to Larval Stages of Ticks of Medical Importance in the USA. University Honors Program Thesis, paper 110. Georgia Southern University.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 4.
Dermacentor variabilis, American dog tick, dorsal and ventral view of each stage and description of key morphologic features. From top to bottom: Female, male, nymph, larva. Descriptions adapted from: 1Keirans, J.E., and T.R. Litwak. 1989. Pictorial key to the adults of hard ticks, family Ixodidae (Ixodida: Ixodoidea), East of the Mississippi River. Journal of Medical Entomology 26: 435–448. 2Brinton, E. P.; D.E. Beck, and D.M. Allred. 1965. Identification of the adults, nymphs and larvae of ticks of the genus Dermacentor Koch (Ixodidae) in the western United States. Brigham Young University Science Bulletin, Biological Series: Vol. 5 : No. 4, Article 1.
Fig. 5.
Fig. 5.
Haemaphysalis longicornis, longhorned tick, bush tick, cattle tick, dorsal and ventral view of female (top), nymph (middle), larva (bottom) and description of key morphologic features. Descriptions adapted from: 1Keirans, J.E., and T.R. Litwak. 1989. Pictorial key to the adults of hard ticks, family Ixodidae (Ixodida: Ixodoidea), East of the Mississippi River. Journal of Medical Entomology 26: 435–448. 2Hoogstraal, H., F.H.S. Roberts, G.M. Kohls, V.J. Tipton. 1968. Review of Haemaphysalis (Kaiseriana) longicornis Neumann (resurrected) of Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Fiji, Japan, Korea, and Northeastern China and USSR, and its parthenogenic and bisexual populations (Ixodoidea, Ixodidae). Journal of Parasitology 54: 1197–1213. 3Egizi, A.M., R.G. Robbins, L. Beati, S. Nava, C.R. Evans, J.L. Occi, D.M. Fonseca. 2019. A pictorial key to differentiate the recently detected exotic Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann, 1901 (Acari, Ixodidae) from native congeners in North America. ZooKeys 818: 117–128.
Fig. 6.
Fig. 6.
Ixodes scapularis, black-legged tick or deer tick, dorsal and ventral view of each stage and description of key morphologic features. From top to bottom: Female, male, nymph, larva. Descriptions adapted from: 1Keirans, J.E., and T.R. Litwak. 1989. Pictorial key to the adults of hard ticks, family Ixodidae (Ixodida: Ixodoidea), East of the Mississippi River. Journal of Medical Entomology 26: 435–448. 2Durden, L.A., and J.E. Keirans. 1996. Nymphs of the Genus Ixodes (Acari: Ixodidae) of the United States: Taxonomy, Identification Key, Distribution, Hosts, and Medical Importance. Thomas Say Publications in Entomology: Monographs. Lanham, Maryland. 76 pp. 3Coley, K. 2015. Identification Guide to Larval Stages of Ticks of Medical Importance in the USA. University Honors Program Thesis, paper 110. Georgia Southern University.
Fig. 7.
Fig. 7.
Rhipicephalus sp., brown dog tick, dorsal and ventral view of each stage and description of key morphologic features. From top to bottom: Female, male, nymph, larva. Descriptions adpated from: 1Keirans, J.E., and T.R. Litwak. 1989. Pictorial key to the adults of hard ticks, family Ixodidae (Ixodida: Ixodoidea), East of the Mississippi River. Journal of Medical Entomology 26: 435–448. 2Walker, J.B., J.E. Keiran, and I.G. Horak. 2000. The genus Rhipicephalus (Acari, Ixodidae): A guide to the brown ticks of the world. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, New York. 643 pp. 3Coley, K. 2015. Identification Guide to Larval Stages of Ticks of Medical Importance in the USA. University Honors Program Thesis, paper 110. Georgia Southern University.
Fig. 8.
Fig. 8.
Otobius megnini, spinose ear tick, dorsal and ventral view of nymph (top) and larva (bottom) and description of key morphologic features. Descriptions adapted from: 1Cooley, R.A., and G.M. Kohls. 1944. The Argasidae of North America, Central America, and Cuba. American Midland Naturalist Monograph No. 1.
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