Health Alert! :Leptospirosis:

[KP]

This message was posted on my board by a member who fosters in NY.

To all members on the board, please spread the word (permission to crosspost). There is an outbreak of Leptospirosis on the East coast of the US, a bacterial infectious disease that is highly contagious and can be zoonotic (passed to humans). It is passed through fecal and urine of other infected animals, so please take caution and avoid heavily populated dog areas (dog parks, shows, vet offices, etc.). We have 16 infected dogs in our own kennels, as well as in other shelters and kennels in New York, and known outbreaks as far south as Florida.

[imported_Cassie]

Leptospirosis is transmitted between animals through contact with infected urine; venereal and placental transfer; bite wounds; or the ingestion of infected tissue. Crowding, as found in a kennel, can increase the spread of infection. Indirect transmission occurs through exposure of susceptible animals to contaminated water sources, food, or even bedding. Stagnant or slow moving water provides a suitable habitat for Leptospira. As a result, disease outbreaks often increase during periods of flooding. In dry areas infections are more common around water sources.
Freezing greatly reduces the survival of the organism in the environment. This explains why infections are more common in summer and fall and why the infection is more prevalent in temperate areas.

Leptospira bacteria penetrate mucous membranes or abraded skin and multiply rapidly upon entering the blood system. From there they spread to other tissues including the kidneys, liver, spleen, nervous system, eyes, and genital tract. As the body fights the infection, the organism is cleared from most organs, but they may persist in the kidneys and be shed for weeks or months in the urine. The amount of damage done to the internal organs is variable depending on the serovar and the host it infects. After 7 or 8 days of infection, the animal will begin to recover, if the damage to the kidneys or liver is not too severe.
Infections in dogs with the serovars canicola and grippotyphosa have been associated with kidney infections with minimal liver involvement. Whereas, the serovars pomona and icterohaemorrhagiae produce liver disease. Dogs younger than 6 months tend to develop more cases of liver disease regardless of the serovar.

In acute infections a fever of 103-104

[imported_Kat]

From personal experience: In September 2002 I was on a marine field trip. We were wading around in rivers and all sorts of lakes etc. After I got back home about 2 weeks later I started feeling really sick and couldn't hardly move, I was so weak. I thought it was like flu, then my bf got glandular fever and thought maybe that too (perfect timing :P ). My symptoms were sickness, weakness, shaking, hot eyeballs (don't ask:p), feverish, stomach cramps, and fainting. 12 others of my class also went down ill. I took it the worst (probably because I was the only one brave enough or idiotic enough to collect samples from the skanking water :roll: ). I was hit hard with it and spent a week in hospital on transfusions, because my blood wouldn't clot and literally my body was haemorrhaging from the inside out. With hefty doses of antibiotics to combat the bacterial infection my body regained control again, but even from that my immune system now is dampened and my liver enzymes are higher than a normal person of my age and activity.

I was lucky that my GP put the pieces of the jigsaw together when I dragged myself into see him and then talked to another GP who agreed, so I got to the hospital in pretty good time then a day later started with the haemorrhaging so in the right place at right time!

I see lepto in work with dogs that have been near rats and that is likely how my class contracted it, through skanking dirty river water and my uni should be sued for making us go near it :evil: keep your dogs away from areas of filthy water and don't let them scavenge especially near riverside vegetation.

Lepto is certainly not a nice thing to have, for either human or canine, and can persist in the blood up to 10 years later, so reinfection is common if the immune system is dampened at all or compromised.

[courtnek]

there is also a disease, called blastomycosis, associated with rivers and stagnant water. my Golden Lab died from it. It is also contagious to humans, and has the symptoms of pockets of tissue, that become sores, and bleed water-like pus. Please be aware of it.