The ixodid tick species attaching to domestic dogs and cats in Great Britain and Ireland

The species of ixodid ticks, attached to dogs and cats presented to veterin ary practices in Great Britain and Ireland were identified. Most host anima ls carried only one tick species with Ixodes ricinus Linne (Acari: Ixodidae ) being the most common, identified on 52% of animals, Ixodes hexagonus Lea ch (Acari: Ixodidae) the second most common (on 39%) and Ixodes canisuga Jo hnston (Acari: Ixodidae) the third most common (on 11%). A significantly hi gher proportion of dogs than cats carried I. ricinus, while I. hexagonus wa s more frequently carried by cats. One animal carried a single specimen of Haemaphysalis punctata Canestrini & Fanzago (Acari: Ixodidae), one carried a Dermacentor reticulatus Fabricius (Acari: Ixodidae) but none carried Rhip icephalus sanguineus Latreille (Acari: Ixodidae). This indicates that the l atter two species, vectors of 'exotic' tick-borne diseases, remain at low d ensities in Great Britain and Ireland. Retrospective information on exposur e of the animals to different habitats and geographic regions was collected by questionnaire and subject to contingency table and logistic regression analysis. Woodlands and moorlands were habitats significantly associated wi th I. ricinus attachment. Exposure to urban parks was significantly associa ted with I. hexagonus attachment and exposure to boarding kennels and catte ries was significantly associated with I. canisuga attachment. Ixodes hexag onus, rather than I. ricinus, was the ixodid tick species most likely to be encountered by urban populations of dogs and cats and, by inference, possi bly also humans. The implications of these findings, for the transmission o f tick-borne pathogens to dogs, cats and humans are discussed.