''Rhipicephalus sanguineus'', commonly called the brown dog tick, kennel tick, or pantropical dog tick, is a species of

tick Ticks (order Ixodida) are parasitic arachnids that are part of the mite superorder Parasitiformes. Adult ticks are approximately 3 to 5 mm in length depending on age, sex, species, and "fullness". Ticks are external parasites, living by ...

found worldwide, but more commonly in warmer climates. This species is unusual among ticks in that its entire lifecycle can be completed indoors. The brown dog tick is easily recognized by its reddish-brown color, elongated body shape, and hexagonal basis capituli (flat surface where mouthparts are attached). Adults are 2.28 to 3.18 mm in length and 1.11 to 1.68 mm in width. They do not have ornamentation on their backs.

Development

The tick follows the normal developmental stages of egg, larva, nymph, and adult. It is called a three-host tick because it feeds on a different host during each of the larval, nymphal, and adult stages. However, the hosts tend to be of one species. Larvae feed for 5–15 days, drop from the host, and develop into nymphs after 1–2 weeks. The nymphs then attach to either the previous host or a different host and feed for 3–13 days before dropping from the host. After two weeks, they develop into adults and attach to another host where they continue to ingest blood, followed by a period of mating. The females drop yet again in order to lay their eggs, which can total up to 7,000 in number. ''Rhipicephalus sanguineus'' can acquire bacterial or protozoal causative agents of disease at any of these life stages.

Hosts

''Rhipicephalus sanguineus'' feeds on a wide variety of mammals, but

dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. Do ...

s are the preferred host in the U.S., and the population can reach pest proportions in houses and

kennel A kennel is a structure or shelter for dogs. Used in the plural, ''the kennels'', the term means any building, collection of buildings or a property in which dogs are housed, maintained, and (though not in all cases) bred. A kennel can be made ...

s. The preferred attachment sites on a dog are the head, ears, back, between toes, and

axilla The axilla (also, armpit, underarm or oxter) is the area on the human body directly under the shoulder joint. It includes the axillary space, an anatomical space within the shoulder girdle between the arm and the thoracic cage, bounded superior ...

Medical importance

''Rhipicephalus sanguineus'' is one of the most important vectors of diseases in dogs worldwide. In the United States, ''R. sanguineus'' is a vector of many disease-causing pathogens in dogs, including ''

Ehrlichia canis ''Ehrlichia canis'' is an obligate intracellular bacterium that acts as the causative agent of ehrlichiosis, a disease most commonly affecting canine species. This pathogen is present throughout the United States (but is most prominent in the So ...

'', which causes canine ehrlichiosis, and ''

Babesia canis ''Babesia canis'' is a parasite that infects red blood cells and can lead to anemia. This is a species that falls under the overarching genus ''Babesia''. It is transmitted by the brown dog tick (''Rhipicephalus sanguineus'') and is one of the mo ...

,'' which is responsible for canine

babesiosis Babesiosis or piroplasmosis is a malaria-like parasitic disease caused by infection with a eukaryotic parasite in the order Piroplasmida, typically a ''Babesia'' or '' Theileria'', in the phylum Apicomplexa. Human babesiosis transmission via ...

. In dogs, symptoms of canine ehrlichiosis include lameness and fever; those for babesiosis include fever,

anorexia Anorexia nervosa, often referred to simply as anorexia, is an eating disorder characterized by low weight, food restriction, body image disturbance, fear of gaining weight, and an overpowering desire to be thin. ''Anorexia'' is a term of Gre ...

, and

anemia Anemia or anaemia (British English) is a blood disorder in which the blood has a reduced ability to carry oxygen due to a lower than normal number of red blood cells, or a reduction in the amount of hemoglobin. When anemia comes on slowly, t ...

. ''R. sanguineus'' has not been shown to transmit the

bacteria Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one Cell (biology), biological cell. They constitute a large domain (biology), domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometr ...

that cause

Lyme disease Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, is a vector-borne disease caused by the ''Borrelia'' bacterium, which is spread by ticks in the genus ''Ixodes''. The most common sign of infection is an expanding red rash, known as erythema migran ...

in humans. In parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, it is a vector of '' Rickettsia conorii'', known locally as Mediterranean spotted fever, boutonneuse fever, or tick typhus. It can also transmit ''

Rickettsia rickettsii ''Rickettsia rickettsii'' (abbreviated as ''R. rickettsii'') is a Gram-negative bacteria, gram-negative, intracellular, coccobacillus bacterium that is around 0.8 to 2.0 μm long. ''R. rickettsii'' is the causative agent of Rocky Mountain spotte ...

,'' the bacteria responsible for causing

Rocky Mountain spotted fever Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is a bacterial disease spread by ticks. It typically begins with a fever and headache, which is followed a few days later with the development of a rash. The rash is generally made up of small spots of bleedin ...

in humans in the Southwestern United States.

Vector-borne pathogens found in ''R. sanguineus''

*''Babesia vogeli'' *''

'' *''Coxiella burnetii'' *''

'' *''Hepatozoon canis'' *''Mycoplasma haemocanis'' *'' Rickettsia conorii'' *''

'' *''

Wolbachia ''Wolbachia'' is a genus of intracellular bacteria that infects mainly arthropod species, including a high proportion of insects, and also some nematodes. It is one of the most common parasitic microbes, and is possibly the most common reproducti ...

spp''

Management

The best management strategy is prevention of infestations in the house or kennel. In addition, the earlier the infestation is discovered, the easier it is to control. Regular grooming and inspection of pets is essential to management, especially when dogs have been quartered or have interacted with other dogs.

Distribution

cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Food and drink * Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo" History * Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953 Hotels and resorts * Cosmopoli ...

species, it can be found in worldwide with the exception of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

where Hoyle et al 2001 and Bates et al 2002 find it only in quarantine kennels. No further intrusion into the UK has been found .

References

External links

Brown dog tick
on the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

/ Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences ''Featured Creatures'' website * ICb.usp.br * Extento.hawaii.edu {{Authority control Arachnids of South America Ticks Parasites of dogs Animals described in 1806 Ixodidae Cosmopolitan arthropods