Pure Dog Talk

Research shows growing problem with ticks Ticks are creepy crawly creatures we all love to hate. But they are also dangerous disease vectors transmitting deadly organisms. Dr. Diane Brown, CEO of the AKC Canine Health Foundation, shared incredibly Dr. Diane Brown, CEO, AKC Canine Health Foundation. valuable information about what her organization is doing to lead the fight against these diseases. CHF funded research has identified a class of tick-borne organisms, called Bartonella. Bartonella invades the host’s blood vessels and can cause inflammation in the heart. “What if that (bartonella infection) is the early trigger that leads to chronic inflammation in the blood vessels,” Brown posits, “potentially leading to the development of cancer.” Current CHF funded research is looking at bartonella in association with hemangiosarcoma, literally cancer of the blood vessels. “It’s a little controversial,” Brown said “but there’s a lot of impetus driving the research in this direction.” Tick-borne organisms ass