Animals, both livestock as well as companion animals, can be infected with a wide variety of parasites. It is impossible to cover the whole range of parasitic infections of veterinary importance. At present, our focus is on:

1. Leishmaniosis
Leishmaniasis is not only a human health problem. The animal reservoir (mainly household and stray dogs, but also small rodents, opossums and many other species) can also suffer from the disease. Canine leishmaniosis is becoming more and more important in Mediterranean countries and in many countries in Latin America. However, the disease is also more and more frequently reported as an import disease in northern European countries and recently an outbreak of leishmaniosis was reported in kennels in eastern states of the USA.

2. Trypanosomosis
Tsetse fly-transmitted trypanosomiasis is an infectious disease unique to Africa and caused by various species of blood parasites, Trypanosoma. The disease also affects animals, Animal African Trypanosomosis (AAT) or Nagana, and occurs in approximately 35 sub-Saharan countries. The infection threatens an estimated 50 million head of cattle. The economic impact of the disease is huge: every year, AAT causes about 3 million deaths in cattle while approximately 35 million doses of trypanocidal drugs are administered.

3. Helminths in ruminants
Helminth parasites are found in cattle, sheep and goats in all countries of the world. Many of these parasites are associated with poor production, reduced health and can produce acute disease and even death.