Vector of Disease

The brown dog tick is a putative vector of Ehrlichia canis, a blood protozoan parasite that causes canine Ehrlichiosis. Other pathogens are Rickettsia rickettsia, R. belli, R. rhipicephali, R. montana and Babesia canis, another protozoan parasite that causes canine Babesiosis.

Feeding time to transmit ehrlichiosis is unknown at this time. For babesiosis, feeding time to infect is 2-3 days. This tick is very prolific and large infestations can develop quickly in the home.

This three-host hard tick utilizes dogs in all three parasitic stages - adult, larvae and nymph. Originally confined to warm climates, this tick is now distributed across the U.S. as it has adapted to complete its life cycle entirely indoors.

In California, this tick has been collected almost exclusively from dog kennels scattered across the state.