Borreliosis / Lyme Disease

Pathogen

Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato -bacteria

Vector

Tick (Ixodes ricinus, I. persulcatus) 

Geographical distribution

The primary vectors of Borrelia occur naturally in Finland and throughout Europe, except in the hottest areas in the south and the coldest areas in the north

Transmission

Borrelia bacteria cannot survive freely in the environment but require a host such as a mammal (e.g., dog or cat), bird or reptile. They are transmitted between hosts by ticks of the Ixodes genus. A tick acquires the Borrelia bacteria into its system during a blood meal in its larval or nymph stage and later transmits it to a new host during a subsequent blood meal. The Borrelia bacteria begin multiplying in the tick's digestive tract once the tick attaches to the host. From there, the bacteria migrate to the tick's salivary glands and are transmitted to the new host during blood feeding. It takes 24–48 hours for Borrelia bacteria to transfer from the tick to the dog during feeding.

Symptoms

Lyme disease (borreliosis) rarely causes clinical symptoms in dogs, but when symptoms do occur, they are highly variable. Dogs may exhibit signs such as loss of appetite, lethargy, fever, enlarged lymph nodes, joint swelling, and shifting lameness that moves from one leg to another. Borreliosis may also be associated with immune-mediated glomerulonephritis (a type of kidney disease), leading to proteinuria and hypoproteinemia, which is the loss of proteins from the body through urine. The incubation period for borreliosis varies, but it is estimated to be around 2–6 months.

Prevention