A Nanaimo emergency veterinary hospital is sounding the alarm over a rare disease occurring in dogs.
According to a press release issued by Central Island Veterinary Emergency Hospital, necrotizing fasciitis, a disease that is difficult and expensive to treat and often fatal, has cropped up in six dogs in Nanaimo, Parksville and Qualicum Beach since October.
Nectrotizing fasciitis is a deep-seated infection of the skin, underlying fat layer and connective tissue surrounding muscles. A number of different bacterial species have been known to cause the infection, most commonly streptococci species, the release noted.
Veterinarian Catherine Daniel said she has submitted the cases to the Canadian Animal Health Surveillance System. The most recent case appearing the system was from April B次元官网网址� details of cases on the system only appear with the pet ownerB次元官网网址檚 consent B次元官网网址� for a dog in Parksville that had to be euthanized. Two of the cases listed were in Nanaimo and all cases occurred in different breeds. Of the five cases listed, four of the dogs had to be euthanized and one dog died soon after arriving in hospital.
Daniel said the disease is extremely rare, in about one in 300,000 humans in the U.S., but the disease in dogs is caused by a different bacteria.
B次元官网网址淚n humans, flesh-eating disease is caused by a group A streptococcus, but in dogs itB次元官网网址檚 caused by a group G, specifically usually streptococcus canis, which is species-specific,B次元官网网址� Daniel said. B次元官网网址淭here have been cases reported in cats, but it would be extremely rare for a human to contract it. They would have to be very immune-compromised and they would have to come in direct contact with the infectious material.B次元官网网址�
The bacteria typically gains access to underlying tissues through puncture wounds, skin infections or other trauma, but wounds are not always obvious or seen.
Daniel said the disease is so rare in dogs that veterinarians can spend their entire careers without encountering a case and she doesnB次元官网网址檛 know why cases seem to have spiked in the central Island in recent months.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e not sure. ThatB次元官网网址檚 why weB次元官网网址檙e looking into it,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 how this all came about, because IB次元官网网址檝e started doing some research around it and, for now itB次元官网网址檚 getting some publication. WeB次元官网网址檙e going to be doing a survey to owners of infected animals in terms of trying to figure out if thereB次元官网网址檚 any kind of commonality between them.B次元官网网址�
Daniel said streptococcus canis naturally colonizes the skin and gastrointestinal tract of most animals, particularly dogs and cats, and doesnB次元官网网址檛 cause disease in most healthy animals, but in the dogs she has encountered with the disease there could be some form of environmental factor that contributed to the animals developing necrotizing fasciitis.
B次元官网网址淭he fact that we have the bacteria does not mean that the disease will occur,B次元官网网址� she said.
If more cases occur, she and other veterinary staff at the hospital will send cultures to an infectious disease specialist in Ontario for analysis to see if thereB次元官网网址檚 a new strain emerging or virulent factors involved contributing to new cases. Daniel said the veterinary community does not know what contributing factors are because cases are so rare, but there has to be some particular instances that create the right environment to cause the infection. Those currently arenB次元官网网址檛 understood but she hopes the survey will provide data that will help tease those out.
There does not appear to be any outbreaks beyond the Island.
READ ALSO:
Pet owners should be wary if their dogs display certain symptoms. Pets with pain, especially in a limb, with or without swelling should be seen by a veterinarian. Usually, there is no discolouration of the skin, but it can develop over a few hours and a fever is a commonly associated with necrotizing fasciitis.
Pets diagnosed with the disease require urgent and intensive therapy to try to manage the fasciitis, which can include surgery to eliminate infected tissue to try to halt the spread of the infection. The procedure can range from removing small sections of tissue to limb amputation.
Daniel said treatment, including aggressive surgical intervention, is costly B次元官网网址� as much as $15-20,000.
Daniel said she hopes the cases will simply stop.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 hoping it just peters out and we never have to see it again and, hopefully, IB次元官网网址檝e had my share of the cases, but if it does keep going we kind of felt we needed to get the ball rolling, in terms of investigating, so that, at least, we can get in front of it if it is something thatB次元官网网址檚 going to take off,B次元官网网址� she said.
photos@nanaimobulletin.com
Like us on and follow us on
