Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Arizona Animal Health Professionals Regarding Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases

Abstract

Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is a serious tick-borne disease caused by the bacteria Rickettsia rickettsii. The primary vector in Arizona, Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato, primarily feeds on domesticated dogs but can spillover to humans. Animal health professionals play an important role in preventing the disease cycle because they work with both dogs and people and therefore have the potential to act as surveillance sentinels and sources of information for the public. Although RMSF outbreaks began in Arizona over 20 years ago, there is limited information about the ways animal health professionals are handling ticks and tick-borne diseases throughout Arizona. This project aimed to identify knowledge gaps across regions and facilities in the state, assess the potential for animal health professionals to serve as state surveillance mechanisms for tick-borne diseases, and gauge animal health professionals’ interest in tick and tick-borne disease education and outreach initiatives. An online knowledge, attitudes, and practices survey was administered to staff and volunteers working at veterinary clinics, animal shelters and rescues, and animal control agencies across the state. Aim 1: Our results demonstrated that while animal health professionals are generally familiar with the tick species present in the state, they are less knowledgeable about the diseases each tick species can transmit. Specifically, there is a knowledge gap regarding diseases transmitted by the brown dog tick, one of the most common ticks in the state. Animal control respondents and respondents from the western region were the least knowledgeable groups. Animal control respondents also had the lowest level of concern for TBDs, further indicating that they are a high-risk group. Knowledge score and level of concern for TBDs were positively correlated with the frequency that professionals check dogs for ticks, and knowledge scores of the veterinary subgroup were higher among respondents who often and always test symptomatic dogs for tick-borne diseases. Aim 2: Lyme disease has been diagnosed in dogs in all Arizona regions except the western region, and Rickettsia parkeri has not been diagnosed in any regions, although only a small portion of respondents reported testing dogs for R. parkeri. Rocky Mountain spotted fever has not been diagnosed in dogs in the two most populated regions of Arizona, central and southern. The most commonly used TBD test, the IDEXX 4DX Snap test, does not include rickettsial diseases such as Rickettsia rickettsii, indicating that there may be a diagnostic bias and underdiagnosis of rickettsial pathogens. Aim 3: Animal health professionals are interested in receiving training and education about ticks and tick-borne diseases, with the University of Arizona and Arizona Veterinary Medical Association being the most requested sources for training and information.