The term “Mediterranean disease” is a generic term under which several different diseases of dogs are summarized. Since both the pathogens of these diseases and their carriers occur primarily in the warm regions along the Mediterranean Sea in southern and eastern Europe, the term Mediterranean disease has become established in dogs. In view of the rising temperatures in this country and due to dogs that are either taken on vacation or adopted from the Mediterranean countries, these Mediterranean diseases in dogs are also increasingly spreading in Central Europe. Since some of them can be transmitted to humans, it is particularly important to clarify suspected cases as quickly as possible.
Definition – Which Mediterranean diseases are there in dogs and what are the symptoms?
The term “Mediterranean diseases” summarizes several diseases that primarily affect dogs in tropical and subtropical climates, for example in countries in southern and eastern Europe, and are also partly contagious for humans. The pathogens and carriers of these diseases are diverse and very different.
Leishmaniasis
This probably best-known Mediterranean disease in dogs is triggered by unicellular parasites (= Leishmania), which are transmitted to dogs, other animals or even humans via the bite of the sand fly. In the body of the infected host, Leishmania infects certain cells, the so-called macrophages, which are mainly found in the skin, internal organs and blood.
An infection can remain symptomless for months to years. Nevertheless, a dog infected in this way is a risk of infection for other living beings. When bitten by a mosquito, it picks up the infected cells from the dog’s blood and then transmits them to its next victim. Occasionally, smear infections are also possible via skin injuries or the saliva of infected animals. Since the sand fly is now also spreading in Central Europe with increasingly warmer temperatures, direct disease transmission is also possible to dogs that have never traveled to southern Europe. Symptoms of leishmaniasis in dogs are:
- fever flares
- disturbed general condition
- Loss of appetite/emaciation
- Diarrhea
- Skin inflammation with scaling
- Hair loss especially on the nose, ears and around the eyes
- Inflammation of the claw bed with excessive claw growth
- pain in the abdominal cavity if internal organs are affected
- bloody stool and/or urine
- anemia
- Enlargement of the lymph nodes
- eye inflammation
- Joint inflammation (polyarthritis)
If leishmaniasis is not treated in time, the disease often leads to the death of the dog. But even with intensive medical treatment, the prognosis for the affected animal is often poor, since the disease keeps recurring and a complete cure can only rarely be achieved.
What are Mediterranean Diseases in Dogs?
This term summarizes different dog diseases that occur mainly in Mediterranean countries.
Ehrlichiosis
This disease, also known as “tick fever”, is caused by the bacterium Ehrlichia canis (or “Rickettsia”), which is transmitted to dogs by ticks. Puppies or dogs with a weakened immune system are particularly susceptible to symptoms of the disease. Originally, the brown dog tick was found in Africa, but has now spread across the entire Mediterranean region and is also increasingly occurring in our country as a result of being introduced by dogs from countries there. The tick can survive all year round in continuously heated areas, such as in animal shelters, dog kennels or even in apartments, and thus spread the pathogens of tick fever here as well. The faster the tick is removed from the dog, the lower the risk of infection. About three weeks after the transmission of the pathogen, dogs show the first symptoms:
- High fever up to 41°
- loss of appetite/vomiting/diarrhoea
- mucopurulent discharge from nose and eyes
- lymph node swelling
- shortness of breath
- muscle twitching/cramps
- joint inflammation
- signs of paralysis
While in some dogs the disease heals spontaneously after about 6-15 weeks, in others there is a chronic course with changes in the bone marrow and blood count, severe organ damage, blindness, and finally death of the dog.
Babesiosis
Babesia are unicellular parasites that attack the red blood cells in the dog’s blood, multiply there, and destroy them. They are transmitted by ticks primarily in southern Mediterranean countries, but now also increasingly in Switzerland, northern Italy and southern Germany. The disease is not contagious to humans. The disease is also known as “canine malaria”. The first symptoms appear about 10-20 days after infection, followed by a short resting phase in which the parasites cannot be detected in the blood. After about 14 days, the symptoms reappear, and depending on the severity of the disease, rest and acute phases of the disease alternate again and again, or the dog dies from the symptoms:
- High fever up to 42°
- apathy and weakness
- Anemia with pale mucous membranes
- Jaundice due to liver damage
- Red or greenish urine due to kidney damage
- enlargement of the spleen
Fatal courses occur above all in sick and weakened dogs or very young puppies. If the course of the disease is rather mild, an improvement or even a cure can often be achieved with medication. Severe cases require a blood transfusion to stop the destruction of the red blood cells, but then the chances of success are usually poor.
How much does a dog Mediterranean disease test cost?
The cost of a test depends on the disease to be tested. On average, you have to reckon with $50-100.
Lyme disease
The disease, also known as Lyme disease, is caused by bacteria, which are also transmitted by ticks. Humans can also contract Lyme disease, but there is no direct transmission from dogs. Borreliosis is not a pure Mediterranean disease in dogs, as the pathogen is also widespread in many regions of Germany. The longer a tick remains on the host, the greater the probability of transmission of the pathogen. In many cases, the Borrelia remain in the dog’s skin and do not lead to symptoms of the disease. However, stressful situations or other illnesses can still lead to the onset of the disease months or years later, which often makes the diagnosis more difficult. Typical symptoms in dogs are:
- Reddening of the skin at the sting site
- Fever
- loss of appetite
- Swelling and pain in joints, lameness
- swollen lymph nodes
- kidney inflammation (rare)
- heart problems
Severe courses can also lead to the death of the dogs. Early treatment with antibiotics can cure the disease.
What medications are used for Mediterranean diseases in dogs?
The treatment depends on the pathogen – antibiotics are used against bacteria, parasitic diseases such as leishmaniasis or babesiosis require the use of completely different drugs.
Diagnosis of Mediterranean disease in dogs
If dogs from the Mediterranean region are brought to Germany, it is always advisable to have them checked beforehand to check for the possible presence of one of the diseases mentioned. Various blood tests are available with which either direct detection of the pathogen or detection of antibodies can be carried out. However, these tests are only of limited value, since a negative result does not always rule out an infection. Further tests at later dates should follow. If you want to adopt a dog from southern or eastern Europe, you should always have the blood tests carried out in writing
Ways to prevent Mediterranean disease in dogs
Effective parasite prophylaxis is the best way to combat all tick-borne diseases. Various preparations are available for this purpose, which can be obtained from the treating veterinarian. Over-the-counter antiparasitics are usually in lower doses and therefore not necessarily effective. If you want to take your dog with you on vacation in the south, you should definitely use a medically effective tick repellent, which is usually also effective against fleas, mosquitoes, and other ectoparasites.
Vaccines against babesiosis, leishmaniasis, and borreliosis are now also on the market that only partially prevent a disease, but can at least significantly weaken its course.
