Dogs have been found to harbor dangerous pathogens that public health experts fear could pose a threat to humans.
A new CDC report published Wednesday identified two New Jersey dogs — a golden retriever and a cocker spaniel — who became infected in the spring of 2023 with an antibiotic-resistant bacteria similar to a pathogen that caused an outbreak of had caused 81 people.
The bacteria in the outbreak were similar but not identical, and public health officials still don’t know how the dogs became infected.
Both dogs were treated at the same veterinary facility, where the pathogen is believed to have been picked up.
The bacterium pseudomonas aeruginosa that infected them is resistant to many antibiotics, making this especially concerning because infections are more difficult to treat.
A second CDC report published the same day described a similar outbreak of a fungal infection in dogs in Wisconsin starting in 2022. Although the infection did not spread from dogs to humans, five people and six dogs became ill from inhaling fungal spores in the same area. general area.
The fungus, Blastomyces, infects a person or a dog when they inhale spores that burrow into the soil and leaves and explode into the air when either is disturbed. Direct transmission from dogs to humans is extremely rare.
Instead, experts fear that the areas where dogs are exposed, such as walks through the woods, also expose the dogs’ owners, potentially making them sick with blastomycosis as well.
A golden retriever and a cocker spaniel became infected with a bacteria after being treated at a veterinary hospital. The type of bacteria was similar to the type that caused an outbreak in 2022
In the first study in the CDC’s latest collection, they detailed two cases of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in New Jersey in March and June 2023.
The first was in a seven-year-old golden retriever who had a chronic cough for months. The second was a six-year-old cocker spaniel. Both were treated at the same veterinary hospital.
The bacteria isolated from the dogs were very similar to those found in a multi-state human outbreak linked to contaminated artificial tears.
Neither dog owners nor household members reported any exposure to outbreak-related ophthalmic products since March 2022.
However, the second dog was treated with a different over-the-counter artificial tear solution that may have contained the virus.
A subsequent inspection by the New Jersey Department of Health revealed lax hand hygiene standards, PPE protocol and cleaning and disinfection procedures at the vet hospital.
The outbreak linked to artificial tears sickened 81 people and killed four in 18 states, but the two dogs were the only animal cases identified.
Pseudomonas infection can affect the skin, blood, lungs, gastrointestinal tract and other parts of the body.
Pseudomonas infections can range from minor issuessuch as swimmer’s ears and hot tub rashes, to serious, life-threatening conditions, especially in people who are already weak or ill.
Symptoms depend on the site of infection, with possible signs including green-blue pus in wounds, earache from swimmer’s ear, coughing from pneumonia, or fever and fatigue from a systemic infection. If the infection spreads to the bloodstream, it can cause high fever, chills, confusion and shock.
Blastomyces — which infects about 6,700 Americans and kills 60 each year — causes a lung infection that can cause fever, coughing, chest pain, fatigue and night sweats
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In Wisconsin, an outbreak of blastomycosis – caused by the fungus Blastomyces – infected four people and five dogs in St Croix County.
The latest CDC report shows the number has risen to five human cases, with two hospitalizations and one death. Most patients had underlying health conditions and reported symptoms such as coughing, fatigue and fever.
Six cases in dogs were confirmed, with symptoms including lethargy, loss of appetite and breathing difficulties. Sporting breeds seemed more affected.
The CDC report stated, “The at-risk population was defined as individuals living within 2.5 miles of where the human and dog cases occurred. [in St Croix County].
‘Although we have been unable to definitively identify a definitive exposure as the likely cause of this cluster, several locations, such as the river bank, paths or areas along the river, or construction dust, could plausibly have been sources of Blastomyces spores .
‘Dogs that walked on trails, especially those that were off-leash, had a higher prevalence of antibodies compared to dogs that did not. Dogs that lived closer to the river had a higher prevalence of antibodies.’
Blastomyces — which infects about 6,700 Americans and kills 60 each year — causes a lung infection that can cause fever, coughing, chest pain, fatigue and night sweats.
In severe cases, the spores can spread from the lungs to other parts of the body, including bones, joints, and even the brain and spinal cord.