From January 2012, new rules on pet travel replaced the previous Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) which required pets to be treated for ticks not less than 24 hours, and not more than 48 hours, before checking in with an approved transport company. Under this scheme, animals were still reported to be entering the UK carrying infected ticks. As of January 2012 there is no mandatory requirement for tick treatment. 
Find out what pet owners need to do to take their pets abroad.
Although treatment for ticks is no longer mandatory, pets travelling abroad can be exposed to serious diseases, such as Babesiosis, which can be fatal. Untreated pets could also carry exotic species of ticks back into the UK. It is therefore still recommended that all pets are protected against ticks before and during their travels abroad.
Detection of Leishmania infantum DNA mainly inRhipicephalus sanguineus male ticks removed from dogs living in endemic areas of canine leishmaniosis
Image: The sand flies that transmit the parasite are only about one third the size of typical mosquitoes or even smaller. On the left, an example of a vector sand fly (Phlebotomus papatasi) is shown; its blood meal is visible in its distended transparent abdomen. On the right, Leishmaniapromastigotes from a culture are shown. The flagellated promastigote stage of the parasite is found in sand flies and in cultures. (Credit: PHIL, DPDx.)
Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease that is found in parts of the tropics, subtropics, and southern Europe. It is classified as a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD). Leishmaniasis is caused by infection with Leishmania parasites, which are spread by the bite of phlebotomine sand flies. There are several different forms of leishmaniasis in people. The most common forms are cutaneous leishmaniasis, which causes skin sores, and visceral leishmaniasis, which affects several internal organs (usually spleen, liver, and bone marrow).
http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/leishmaniasis/
