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As states continue to enforce shelter-in-place and social distancing orders, news reports suggest that people and their pets are spending more time engaging in outdoor activities. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, people should be aware that experts are warning the mild winter may mean larger populations of disease-carrying ticks across the United States. Will COVID-19 affect the amount of tick-borne diseases cases reported this year?
It is difficult to know whether lifestyle changes occurring due to policies created to mitigate COVID-19 risks will directly impact the prevalence of tick-borne disease in the United States. However, scientists are working to better understand what the tick-borne disease risk looks like with these changing human behaviors and the environmental risks that follow a mild winter.
A one health study being conducted by researchers at the University of Georgia and Duke University is aiming to understand how COVID-19 is affecting the epidemiological factors of tick-borne disease, including exposure risks. The survey asks questions that may help elucidate the link between more time outdoors due to changes in behavior because of COVID-19 and tick exposure. There are additional questions for pet owners who are more likely to be exposed to flea and ticks. This is especially true for new pet owners who may not be as aware of the importance of preventive measures to keep pets and their human family members safe.
Healthy Pets, Healthy Families
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease COVID-19, has dramatically reduced the amount of physical interaction that is possible between people and increased the amount of time people are spending in their own households interacting with their pets. Global veterinary diagnostic companies like IDEXX report that the novel coronavirus has been largely undetected in samples collected from dogs and cats. There have been a few confirmed cases across the world, including a pug in North Carolina, but researchers suggest these are likely due to constant contact with ill family members. The combination of being relatively untouched by the new virus and providing physical and mental health benefits (we have previously written about the human-animal bond) makes pets great companions for many people who are sheltering in place.
This is evidenced by reports of increased fostering and pet adoption rates in states heavily impacted by COVID-19 such as New York. One New York shelter reported that foster application rates were 10 times the average amount. In the beginning of April, the Chicago Animal Care and Control (CACC) Adoptable Pets program released a statement that there were no pets available for adoption. At the same time, surrenders and abandonment have not increased significantly.
Introducing animals into a household is appealing to many people, especially during this pandemic. Caring for pets provides a routine and encourages us to escape isolation in our homes. A short walk around the block can feel like a glorious escape from the monotony of being inside. Cuddling with a dog or cat makes us happy because of the release of oxytocin and dopamine. Despite these benefits, it is important to also be aware of the health risks that pets and the parasites they may bring inside can pose. Keeping dogs and cats healthy and protected is vital to keeping family members safe from vector-borne diseases such as bartonellosis and Lyme disease.
May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month
Lyme Disease Awareness Month serves as a reminder to the public that warmer summer weather brings more ticks and helps educate people on preventative measures that can be taken to prevent tick-borne disease. In the United States, most Lyme disease cases are reported in June and July following exposure earlier in the year. Lyme disease may be even more prevalent this year as spring began a little earlier and people were spending more time outside to escape stay-at-home orders.
Some states have started warning and putting measures in place to head off the possible boom in tick exposure. Researchers from the Tick-Borne Illness Center of Excellence in Woodruff, Wisconsin, warn that the lack of snow this year has led to the potential for higher than normal tick populations. The department of health in Rhode Island, the state with the fifth-highest rate of Lyme disease cases, has started initiatives aimed to remind the public of tick season and educate them on how to avoid tick-borne disease.
An important part of preventing exposure to ticks and other arthropod vectors is keeping pets protected as well. With an influx of pets into households at a time when tick exposure is likely, vigilant preventative measures are essential. Ticks can feed on pets and transmit pathogens, like Borrelia or Babesia species, but they can also fall off pets inside the home and find their way onto a family member. Monthly prevention methods recommended by veterinarians should be used and regular tick checks performed on pets to keep everyone safe.
Conclusion
Changes in human behavior, a mild winter, and increased pet adoption may increase human exposure to fleas and ticks. Pets are an important part of families, especially when humans are isolated in their own households, but they need to be protected from fleas and ticks along with their human family members. Researchers are working to understand the changing risk profile of flea- and tick-borne disease. Meanwhile, humans need to take action to protect themselves and their four-legged family members from flea and tick-borne disease.
References
IDEXX. (2020). Leading veterinary diagnostic company sees no COVID-19 cases in pets [press release]. Available at: https://www.idexx.com/en/about-idexx/news/no-covid-19-cases-pets/?fbclid=IwAR09pwwtuoiMQxF4iOq8logLNCFvS5bIagz9qZucgnoN-G1ATUFcJNcV5Nk
Williams, D. (2020, April 29). A pug in North Carolina may be the first dog in US to test positive for coronavirus. CNN.com. Available at: https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/28/us/coronavirus-us-pug-wellness-trnd/index.html
Galaxy Diagnostics. (2019). Don’t let Bartonella come between the human-animal bond [blog post]. Available at: https://www.galaxydx.com/bartonella-and-the-human-animal-bond/
Ellis, E. G. (2020). Thanks to sheltering in place, animal shelters are empty. Wired.com. Available at: https://www.wired.com/story/coronavirus-pet-adoption-boom/
Galaxy Diagnostics. (n.d.). From cat scratch disease to bartonellosis [blog post]. Available at: https://www.galaxydx.com/csd_to_bartonellosis/
Galaxy Diagnostics. (n.d.). From Lyme disease to borreliosis [blog post]. Available at: https://www.galaxydx.com/lyme-disease-to-borreliosis/
Miller, H. (2020, April 9). Spending more time outside during the pandemic? Scientists say beware of ticks. Huffington Post. Available at: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/coronavirus-tick-season-lyme_l_5e8f0a98c5b6b371812caabd
Lally, T. (2020, April 30). More ticks, risk of Lyme disease in Wisconsin. WAOW.com. Available at: https://waow.com/2020/04/30/more-ticks-risk-of-lyme-disease-in-wisconsin/
Associated Press, Wire Service Content. (2020, April 26). Rhode Island warns of active tick season after mild winter. US News and World Reports. Available at: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rhode-island/articles/2020-04-26/rhode-island-warns-of-active-tick-season-after-mild-winter