New diseases and increased risk of diseases in companion animals and horses due to transport.

Transportation of companion animals and horses within the European Union presents an increased risk of new diseases and reactivation of latent infections, which is a cause for concern for both animal and human health.

Transport-Related Health Issues in Dogs and Horses

• The research article discusses the direct physical problems that can result from transportation, like hyperthermia in dogs and pleuropneumonia in horses.
• Another important point is that stress from traveling canresult in the reactivation of latent infections such as canine herpesvirus-1 in dogs and equine herpesvirus-1 in horses.

Role of Preventive Treatments

• Dogs are subjected to mandatory preventive treatments against ticks and mosquitoes, which are known to transmit numerous, potentially lethal, infectious diseases, such as Leishmania donovani infantum, Babesia canis, Ehrlichia canis, and Dirofilaria immitis.
• However, the paper highlights that preventive measures may be inadequate, as cases of these infections have occurred in regions not typically endemic to these diseases.

Risk Factors in Dogs

• The brown dog tick, a common threat to traveling dogs, can also affect human health by transmitting the infection Rickettsia conorii, causing Mediterranean spotted fever.
• The import of stray dogs from southern Europe, usually of unknown origin, poses potential risks for diseases prevalent in the Mediterranean basin, as well as for rabies.

Risks in Horse Transport

• Horses transported to southern Europe may face exposure to Theileria equi and Babesia caballi, both tick-transmitted diseases. Horses exhibiting antibodies against these parasites are prohibited from entering the United States.
• The article mentions viral diseases like African horse sickness, transmitted by midges, and Borna disease – which has an unclear transmission method – as potential threats to horses traveling to endemic regions.