Tick risk is shifting for pets, people, and veterinary practice

Tick risk is shifting for both animals and people, with new data underscoring how exposure is becoming more frequent, more geographically diffuse, and harder to treat as a purely seasonal problem. In the US, a Binghamton University-led survey of 53 farmers and farmworkers across 46 Southern Vermont dairy and livestock farms found participants reported an average of three tick encounters over six months, with a range of 0 to 70, and 12% said they had been diagnosed with a tick-borne disease. In the UK, veterinary parasitology experts writing in Vet Times said the threat is changing as dogs face greater exposure to infected ticks, Lyme disease remains the leading tick-borne pathogen of veterinary significance, and imported or emerging tick species are adding complexity to risk assessment. Broader surveillance supports that picture: CDC says the range of ticks that transmit Lyme disease is expanding in the US, while CAPC’s 2025 forecast points to continued spread of Lyme and anaplasmosis risk south and west. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this is a reminder that tick conversations need to move beyond “spring and summer” and beyond a single-disease mindset. Dogs can serve as sentinels for local pathogen pressure, and changing vector patterns mean practices may need to revisit prevention protocols, travel histories, screening habits, and client education for pet parents, especially in rural, peri-urban, and newly affected regions. UK guidance and commentary also point to the importance of staying alert for non-endemic pathogens linked to pet movement and unusual tick species, not just classic Lyme presentations. (wwwnc.cdc.gov)

What to watch: Expect more emphasis on local surveillance, year-round prevention messaging, and earlier recognition of both endemic and imported tick-borne disease patterns in practice. (capcvet.org)