What do ticks transmit in cats? - briefly
Ticks may inoculate cats with protozoal agents such as Babesia and Hepatozoon, bacterial pathogens including Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia spp., Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease), and Rickettsia spp., as well as occasionally viral agents.
What do ticks transmit in cats? - in detail
Ticks are vectors for several infectious agents that affect domestic cats. The most common pathogens include:
- Bartonella henselae – the bacterium responsible for cat‑scratch disease; transmitted by the brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) and occasionally by Ixodes species.
- Anaplasma phagocytophilum – causes feline granulocytic anaplasmosis; spread primarily by Ixodes scapularis and Ixodes ricinus.
- Ehrlichia canis – leads to ehrlichiosis; transmitted by Rhipicephalus sanguineus, occasionally resulting in fever, lethargy, and thrombocytopenia in cats.
- Cytauxzoon felis – a protozoan parasite causing cytauxzoonosis; the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) is the primary vector, producing rapid, often fatal hemolytic disease.
- Babesia spp. – various Babesia species may be introduced by Ixodes ticks, producing hemolytic anemia and icterus.
- Rickettsia spp. – spotted fever group rickettsiae, such as Rickettsia rickettsii, can be transmitted by Dermacentor and Amblyomma ticks, leading to fever, vasculitis, and dermatologic lesions.
- Borrelia burgdorferi – the Lyme disease spirochete; transmitted by Ixodes scapularis and Ixodes pacificus, occasionally causing lameness, joint inflammation, or renal involvement in cats.
Additional agents occasionally reported include Hepatozoon felis, transmitted when a cat ingests an infected tick, and Theileria spp., though these are less frequent.
Clinical signs arising from tick‑borne infections vary with the pathogen but commonly involve fever, lethargy, anorexia, weight loss, pale mucous membranes, petechiae, joint swelling, and neurological abnormalities. Laboratory findings may reveal anemia, thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, or elevated inflammatory markers.
Prevention relies on regular ectoparasite control using topical, oral, or collar formulations approved for felines, environmental tick management, and routine inspection of the coat after outdoor exposure. Early diagnosis, based on microscopic examination, PCR, serology, or culture, enables targeted antimicrobial or antiparasitic therapy, improving prognosis for most conditions.