Peter Irwin

In this expert opinion, two case studies of tick-borne diseases of domestic animals in Australia have been selected to illustrate how climate change can potentially influence the spread of introduced tick species and the pathogens they transmit. The first reports an incursion of canine monocytic ehrlichiosis (CME) into northern regions of Australia in April/June 2020 and the second describes the geographical expansion of bovine anaemia due to Theileria orientalis group (BATOG) across Australia since 2006. The introduction of novel pathogens into ecosystems exposed to climate change provides a unique opportunity to study disease dynamics in real time.