FRIDAY, March 15, 2024 (HealthDay News) — A parasite that can kill dogs has been found in a section of the Colorado River in Southern California.
Heterobilharzia americana is A flatworm commonly called a liver fluke. UC Riverside scientists say they have never been reported this far west and are warning pet owners of the dangers.
This worm can cause canine schistosomiasis, which affects your dog's liver and intestines. It can be deadly.
“If you're swimming in the Colorado River with them, your pet is at risk,” said Adler Dillman, a nematologist and professor of parasitology at the University of California, Riverside.
Researchers recently learned of a case in Bryce, California, east of Joshua Tree National Park, and converged there. All of the infected dogs had been swimming in the Colorado River.
Because snails carry this deadly parasite, Dillman's team collected more than 2,000 snails from riverbanks.
“We actually discovered two types of snails that we can support. H. Americana “We found both snails actively excreting the insect in the Bryce River,” Dillman said in a university news release. H. AmericanaWe didn't even know there were snails here.
His team explained in the March 13 issue of the journal Pathogen How DNA was used to confirm the identity of both the snail and the bug.
This insect can only live for about 24 hours when separated from the snail. However, dogs and raccoons can become infected if they go into or drink water where they have been found.
The parasites invade the dog's intestinal lining, mature and reproduce. The eggs then enter the dog's lungs, spleen, liver and heart, Dillman explained.
“When the immune system tries to deal with it, hard clumps of immune cells called granulomas form,” he says. “Eventually, the organ tissue stops functioning.”
It may take several months for the worst symptoms to appear.
Since 2019, 11 dogs in California have been infected in three counties, and one dog has died. Health officials hope that disseminating information about the parasite will prevent further infections and deaths.
“Symptoms begin gradually with loss of appetite and eventually include vomiting, diarrhea, significant weight loss, and signs of liver disease,” said Dr. Emily Beeler, a veterinarian with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
Infected animals require close veterinary monitoring and treatment with multiple medications, he said.
H. Americana Dillman said the virus is not known to infect humans. However, it can cause a skin rash called “swim rash.”
He said the city's drinking water is uncontaminated because the bugs can be easily filtered out with common water filters. However, people and pets should not drink river water directly.
“There are viruses, bacteria and other parasites. giardia “No one should drink water directly from a river, and it has nothing to do with this particular parasite,” Dillman said.
For more information
The USDA is learning more about intestinal parasites in dogs.
Source: University of California, Riverside, News Release, March 14, 2024
