Leptospirosis outbreak reported in St. George
By Sadie Peterson
As of Sept. 10, Red Hills Animal Hospital in St. George has confirmed the diagnosis of 10 cases of leptospirosis. There are other cases where leptospirosis is suspected, but the results are still pending. There have been three other cases confirmed at other area veterinary facilities.
Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection that can cause severe illness, including kidney and liver failure, in dogs and humans alike. The recent outbreak in St. George has caused many dog owners to ask questions about how this began, symptoms to watch for, and treatments and vaccinations to prevent leptospirosis in their dogs.
According to Red Hills Animal Hospital veterinarian Dr. Scott Hannig, the most likely arrival of leptospirosis in southern Utah was through an infected dog that boarded at Red Rock Pet Resort a few weeks ago. Although the exact dog has not been identified, it may have come from another area like Phoenix, where there was recent leptospirosis outbreak. In some cases, it can be difficult for a boarding or doggy daycare facility to know if an infected dog is on their premise because some dogs can spread the disease for months without showing any clinical symptoms of the disease.
“We are actively working with Red Rock Pet Resort to test and provide care for potentially exposed dogs that are showing symptoms of infection,” said Dr. Gwilliam, an associate veterinarian at Red Hills Animal Hospital. “We are also collaborating on strategies to bring the current outbreak under control and institute measures to prevent other dogs from becoming infected in the future.”
The diagnosis of the current cases of leptospirosis are being confirmed through a combination of blood and urine tests. So far, hospitalization has become necessary in about half the dogs. To this point, all dogs are responding well to treatment.
To prevent the disease and stop it from spreading, veterinarians at Red Hills Animal Hospital are recommending that all dogs be vaccinated against leptospirosis. The vaccine is now available at Red Hills Animal Hospital. The vaccine is proven to protect dogs against most forms of leptospirosis and is critical to controlling the disease.
Procedures have been put in place at Red Hills Animal Hospital to make sure there is no contact or transmission of disease between infected patients and other dogs who come into the facility. This includes a dedicated separate examination area and the use of a quarantine space in the hospital created specifically for this type of situation. The doctors and staff are also following strict guidelines to keep themselves safe from the infection.
“Leptospirosis accumulates in the blood and kidneys,” said Gwilliam. “As a result, the infection is mainly spread through the urine of infected dogs. Other dogs and people can be infected through breaks in the skin and mucous membranes from playing in shared pools, or being around urine from an infected dog. With this particular outbreak, the most common clinical signs of affected dogs in southern Utah have presented with symptoms of lethargy, inappetence, sore muscles or joints, fever, and GI symptoms such as vomiting and/or diarrhea.”
After receiving over 300 phone calls this week in regard to leptospirosis, Red Hills Animal Hospital saw a need to educate the community and has arranged for a specialist to present on the disease to all area veterinarians, as well as owners or managers of local boarding facilities Sept. 18.
“Now that this disease is in our area, it is going to take a coordinated effort from all those involved in animal care to prevent it from spreading and causing future outbreaks,” said Hannig. “The bacteria can survive for months under the right conditions and is extremely contagious to both dogs and humans.”
For more information on leptospirosis in dogs, owners should consult their veterinarian. For further information regarding leptospirosis in humans, contact a healthcare provider.
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