Ticks and tick-borne diseases affect animal and human health worldwide and are the cause of significant economic losses. Approximately 10% of the currently known 867 tick species act as vectors of a broad range of pathogens of domestic animals and humans and are also responsible for damage directly due to their feeding behaviour. The most important tick species and the effects they cause are listed. The impact on the global economy is considered to be high and although some estimates are given, there is a lack of reliable data. The impact of ticks and tick-borne diseases on animal production and public health and their control are discussed.

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Two stocks of large Babesia from dogs originating in France, transmitted by Dermacentor reticulatus, two from North Africa, having Rhipicephalus sanguineus as vector, and one from South Africa, transmitted by Haemaphysalis leachi, were compared in cross-immunity tests in dogs and in the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT). The French and North African stocks did not immunise against the South African one, while the North African stocks did not protect against a French one. The South African stock partially protected against a French one. The three groups could be clearly distinguished in the IFAT. These differences have practical implications for existing and future vaccines against canine babesiosis and for the serological diagnosis of atypical and chronic cases. It is proposed to use a trinomial system of nomenclature for these groups: Babesia canis canis (Piana and Galli-Valerio, 1895), Babesia canis vogeli Reichenow, 1937, and Babesia canis rossi (Nuttall, 1910), having Dermacentor, Rhipicephalus and Haemaphysalis ticks as their vectors respectively.

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