News broke overnight that the CDC is warning the public of an outbreak in 13 states of a multi-drug-resistant strain of Campylobacter jejuni. They have traced the majority of the cases back to contact with puppies from pet stores and are issuing an alert for people to be cautious.
Which States Are Affected?
The CDC has a nice map that they will likely update as more cases are identified.
Why Do They Think These Infections Come From Puppies?
There have been 30 cases so far identified and 24 people have been interviewed :
- 88% of the people interviewed reported contact with puppies with 71% specifically citing puppies in/from pet stores
- Based on the rest of the statistics claimed from the CDC, the majority of these cases are coming from employees of the Pet Stores or those that are strongly affiliated with the pet stores, specifically Pet Land. Pet Land is a national Pet Store chain.
- Gentically this particular strain of bacteria is very close to the Campylobacter strain that causes hospitalizations of 23 people across 17 states in 2016-2018. This outbreak was also associated with pet stores owned by Pet Land.
Do We Need To Worry About This In Colorado?
The good news is that there are no pet stores owned by Petland here in Colorado. The bad news is that Colorado Puppy/Dog Rescue groups frequently visit states to rescue puppies from all over the western half of the country. So they might unintentionally bring back a puppy that has this particular strain of bacteria.
Petland does have stores in Texas, New Mexico, and Wyoming. Now, rescue groups do not go into pet stores to get their puppies. They visit shelters that are overrun with homeless puppies and dogs. It’s quite possible that a dog from the pet store could end up at a local shelter and that’s how the infection could be spread.
What Are The Symptoms of A Campylobacter Infection In People?
- Diarrhea (which is often bloody) that lasts for a period of days
- Fever
- Abdominal cramps
In healthy individuals, these symptoms usually go away without treatment within a week. The concern is with those that may be more susceptible and unable to fight off the infection as well. These individuals include children, elderly, and those that are immune-suppressed.
What Are The Symptoms In A Puppy Or Dog With This Campylobacter?
- Lethargy
- Blood diarrhea
- Not eating
Unfortunately, sometimes these dogs can appear perfectly healthy and still pass on this dangerous bacteria.
How Can We Diagnose MDR Campylobacter As Veterinarians?
We can submit a sample of stool to our diagnostic lab to culture for this particular bacteria.
We recommend stool samples for every puppy that we see. This test checks for common intestinal parasites but not bacterial infections. Checking for bacterial infections is a lot more expensive and is usually reserved for cases where humans are having issues and the family puppy/dog is suspected to be the root cause.
Bottom Line – Do I Need To Worry About This With My Puppy?
If you didn’t get your puppy from a pet store, then your chances of acquiring this really bad bacteria is very low. That being said, if your puppy is ill with bloody diarrhea and then you develop the same problem, you need to speak with both your doctor and your veterinarian.
