A possible cause for the mysterious illness sickening thousands of dogs nationwide has been found by researchers at the University of New Hampshire.
The researchers say they’ve identified a small portion of the genome of a previously uncharacterized bacteria that may be causing the illness, which can result in coughing, sneezing, nasal or eye discharge and lethargy in canines.
A small number of dogs have died after being infected with the respiratory disease, which is often complicated or superimposed with severe pneumonia, the UNH researchers said.
Thousands of cases have been reported in at least 14 states, according to experts, who say the illness continues to confound veterinarians because it does not appear to respond to antibiotics.
While cases have been reported in Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont on the East Coast, New Jersey health department officials told NJ Advance Media on Monday there have been no known cases reported in the state.
“The New Jersey Department of Health has not received reports of suspected or confirmed outbreaks in canines,” said Nancy Kearney, deputy director of communications for the health department. “However, the department has received several inquiries from veterinarians about the reported respiratory illnesses and about potential canine respiratory cases that may match the described cases in other states. Not all cases of respiratory illness in canines would be reported to the department.”
UNH researchers attributed their breakthrough to genetic sequencing of samples from 70 dogs in New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Massachusetts from the past two years. The bacterium might be host adapted and potentially part of the dog microbiome and has recently developed the capacity to cause disease, the UNH researchers said.
They expressed hope that identifying the bacterium can ultimately lead to determining the right course of treatment for infected dogs.
“If it is decided definitively that this unknown bacterium is causing some proportion of the noted respiratory syndrome, in-depth research can begin to find the proper medicine to combat it, which would be a significant breakthrough for veterinarians throughout the country,” the UNH study said.
But one expert at the New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory cautioned there is still work to do.
“A finding like this is potentially pretty exciting, even though we still have to see how it develops to a place where we are comfortable saying this is a pathogen in the syndrome,” said David Needle, pathology section chief at the NHVDL. “But a finding like this is significant.”
New Jersey-based veterinarian Kirsten White has tried to caution the public against panic, telling NJ Advance Media last month these sorts of illnesses emerge in dogs from time to time.
“My big thing would be not to panic but to be practical,” White said. “Obviously, you want to ensure that your dog is up to date on all preventative vaccines that are recommended by your vet. Especially vaccines like bordetella, parainfluenza and canine influenza.”
She added, “If an owner is concerned, or they have a dog that has a compromised immune system — something like a cancer patient — they can consider avoiding exposure to other dogs in places like dog parks, doggy daycare, boarding kennels, or grooming facilities.”
Meanwhile, the state health department issued guidance last week to local health professionals and animal-health care providers, Kearney said.
“It is also important to note that many different pathogens can cause respiratory illnesses in dogs, some of which have effective vaccinations,” she said.
The health department on Nov. 28 said there were no reports of human illness affiliated with the cases in other states at this time.
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Keith Sargeant may be reached at ksargeant@njadvancemedia.com.
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