Wild canids, as well as other wild animal species, are largely exposed to bites by ticks and other hematophagous vectors where the features favoring their presence and spread are found in wooded and semi-wooded areas. Much of the information about arthropod-borne infections concerns domestic and companion animals, whereas data about these infections in wild canids are not exhaustive. The present study is a narrative review of the literature concerning vector-borne infections in wild canids, highlighting their role in the epidemiology of arthropod-borne bacteria and protozoa.
Keywords: Anaplasmataceae; Bartonella spp.; Borrelia spp.; Hepatozoon spp.; Leishmania spp.; Rickettsia spp.; piroplasms; wild canids.