Pet transportation or tourism: risk of moving zoonotic pathogens

Abstract

Pet transportation has become relevant. However, since adequate sanitary measures are not taken, pets can be carriers of pathogens, such as ticks which at the same time may turn into zoonotic agent vectors. Ticks are frequent ectoparasites in warm areas. However, they may be dispersed in temperate regions such as Mexico City (CDMX) and become responsible for other vector-borne diseases relevant to Veterinary Medicine and/or public health. It shows that moving animals from one place to another, including tourism with pets, can cause dispersion and proliferation of pathogens if the adequate sanitary measures are not taken. Therefore, this article is of great importance from a biological, ecological, public and veterinary health, since it shows the role of humans in the spread of pathogens particularly of Rhipicephalus sanguineus, its introduction to a site otherwise naturally free of them, and the adaptation mechanisms they may display to infect other hosts with the potential to transmit other emerging pathogens.