Mysterious Respiratory Illness Killing Dogs In Select States Leaves Scientists Confused

A mysterious respiratory illness has confused many professionals about what caused the disease.

At least five U.S. states have reported the illness.

Colorado, Rhode Island, Oregon, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts are the five currently affected states.

Symptoms include coughing that usually turns into pneumonia and other severe respiratory issues.

Laboratories in at least four states are investigating a mysterious respiratory illness in dogs presenting similar symptoms to kennel cough, but they can last much longer, and in some cases prove fatal, according to veterinarians. https://t.co/vRIIN0UwXI

— The New York Times (@nytimes) November 21, 2023

The Washington Post shares more on the story:

Very little is known about the illness, but veterinarians say it usually starts with a cough that might last for weeks, then progresses to pneumonia (visible on X-rays) and severe respiratory distress. The disease generally does not appear to respond to antibiotics, and in acute cases of pneumonia, poor outcomes are seen in as little as 24 to 36 hours, according to the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association, which has received more than 200 reports of potential cases.

“We don’t know what’s causing it, and we can’t say definitively how it’s being transmitted,” said Lindsey Ganzer, a veterinarian who owns the North Springs Veterinary Referral Center in Colorado. “We just don’t know enough right now.”

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Ganzer’s hospital has seen at least 35 cases since about Oct. 20, four of whichwere fatal “due to severe pneumonia,” she said. None of the dogs appears to be fully recovered yet, and her treatment plan so far includes testing to rule out common viruses and infections, supplementary oxygen and a cocktail of antibiotics — which may help with secondary infections, though she’s not convinced it addresses the root cause.

“We need to be treating sooner rather than later. It’s really important,” Ganzer said. “I’ve had cases where it’ll be two housemate dogs, and one of them will show signs, but I’ve gone ahead and started both on antibiotics. A couple days later, the other one will start to cough but is doing better than the first one.”

The worst part is that antibiotics don’t affect the illness too much.

Where did this disease come from and why is it found only in select states?

A new warning for pet owners has been issued after a deadly mystery illness that affects dogs is spreading nationwide.
Dogs with this usually have coughing, sneezing, eye or nose discharge, fever, are abnormally tired, and do not test positive for any of the common causes of… pic.twitter.com/kl3elPim5E

— ∼Marietta (@MariettaDaviz) November 18, 2023

Could this be another ploy by the Chinese government to introduce bioweapons into our nation?

Before you label me as a conspiracy theorist.

It would help if you read this:

Illegal Chinese-Owned Bio Lab Discovered In California Testing Dangerous Viruses

Another Chinese bio lab was discovered in California, and it was experimenting with deadly diseases.

I wouldn’t say it’s too far-fetched that this illness affecting dogs could be connected.

CNN shares more on the story:

Needle said he’s part of a team trying to identify the disease and find common DNA segments by collecting samples from local veterinary clinics and comparing the results.

“If what we have identified is a pathogen, it is likely that the bacteria is host-adapted bacteria with long histories of colonizing dogs,” Needle said. An “evolutionary event” like spontaneous mutation or getting a gene from a different source could then have led the bacteria to become virulent, he said.

He said researchers have received samples from Oregon and expect to receive samples from Colorado, Illinois and other states for testing.

The Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory has also reported cases of a mysterious canine disease, the lab’s director told CNN in an email.

“There has been an uptick in the numbers of dogs with respiratory disease, (coughing, lethargy, fever) and the signs have been persisting longer than a few days,” said Kevin Snekvik, the laboratory’s executive director and a professor at the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine.