A parasite that could kill dogs was first discovered in the Colorado River in Southern California, according to a University of California study, Riverside said.
The parasite is called American heterobilharziawhich is a flatworm more commonly known as liver fluke.
Previously it was found primarily in Texas and other Gulf states, but has now spread westward.
“Dogs can die from this infection, so we hope to raise awareness about its existence,” UC Riverside nematology professor Adler Dillman told UC Riverside News. “If you swim with them in the Colorado River, your animals are in danger.”
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A parasite that could kill dogs was first discovered in the Colorado River in Southern California, according to a University of California study, Riverside said. (Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)
School researchers traveled to Blythe, California, on the Arizona border, and collected and tested 2,000 snails from the banks of the Colorado River after discovering that several dogs infected with the parasite had all swam.
The study states that their results suggest “a wider distribution [of the parasite] than what was previously reported. Our findings have implications for public health, veterinary medicine, and biodiversity conservation, contributing to the development of effective control strategies to prevent the spread of this emerging infectious disease. »
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“In our study, we successfully confirmed the presence of American heterobilharzia for the first time on the banks of the Colorado River, infecting two species of snails, Galba humilis And Galba cubensis“, said the study authors. “This important discovery marks the westernmost record of this North American schistosome endemic to the United States. The identification of the parasite in an area with a documented history of canine schistosomiasis highlights the persistence and potential expansion of this parasitic threat. “
American heterobilharzia is endemic to the Gulf Coast and South Atlantic region of North America, but has also been found in states such as Indiana, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and more recently, Utah.
Along with dogs, it can infect mammals such as raccoons, swamp rabbits, horses, coypu, bobcats, mountain lions and opossums, according to the study.
Eleven dogs in three counties have been confirmed to have the disease and one has died, UC Riverside News reported. (iStock)
Once inside the skin, the parasite migrates to the lungs where it can cause hemorrhages.
“It enters the veins in the intestinal lining and that's where it develops into an adult and a partner,” Dillman told UC Riverside News. “The presence of adults in the veins is not the problem. It is the eggs that enter the lungs, spleen, liver and heart. The immune system tries to deal with it and hard clumps of immune cells called granulomas form. Eventually, body tissues stop functioning.”
Eleven dogs in three counties have been confirmed to have the disease, and one has died, UC Riverside News reported, adding that symptoms including “loss of appetite, and possibly vomiting, diarrhea, loss significant weight and signs of liver disease. “, can take months to appear.
“Treatment usually involves the use of multiple medications and close monitoring of the dog by a veterinarian,” Emily Beeler, a veterinarian with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, told the newspaper.
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The parasite can cause swimmer's itch in humans, but not infection.