Dog owners have been warned after a killer bug that infects pooches has been reported in the UK.
A Shih Tzu in Hertfordshire died after catching the bug Leishmaniasis, which is carried by female sand flies and transmitted by its bite.
The bug is known as a zoonotic disease – meaning it can be passed from animals to people – and is typically picked up by dogs after they’re bitten or wounded by another infected dog.
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However, up until now, the disease hasn’t been reported in the UK.
Following the death of a three-year-old Shih Tzu cross, dog owners have been warned to be aware of the symptoms in their own pets.
The pooch showed no signs of the known symptoms – which include severe weight loss, loss of appetite, diarrhoea, vomiting and painful joints – of the bug and was diagnosed with Leishmaniasis.
Vets suspect dog-to-dog transmission is the most likely explanation for him catching it.
Meanwhile, another pup has been put down after catching the bug in Spain.
The pooch had been imported from Spain but had to be put down six months later after developing Leishmaniosis.
Writing in the BMJ – a medical research journal- about the Shih Tzu’s death, a team of vets said: “To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first reported case of leishmaniosis in the UK in a dog without a history of travel to an endemic area.
“In an era of increased foreign travel of dogs and increased importation of dogs to the UK, it is likely that the number of dogs seropositive for L infantum will continue to increase.
“Leishmania-infected dogs may present an infection risk to other dogs, even in the absence of natural vectors, as direct transmission between dogs is possible.”
The authors revealed a fully vaccinated English pointer has also been diagnosed with the infection, in a different part of the UK.
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The dog had never travelled outside of the UK, however, its owners had lived in Spain and travelled to the Jalón Valley without their pet in the summer of 2018.
The vets suggested the dog may have caught the bug by infected sand flies being brought back in the owners’ transport, luggage, or clothing.
Junior vice president of the British Veterinary Association (BVA), Daniella Dos Santos, also told The Sun: “The increase in cases of non-endemic diseases such as leishmaniasis is extremely concerning.
“Leishmaniasis is mainly associated with pets who have recently travelled outside of the UK or ‘trojan’ rescue dogs from abroad with unknown health histories.”
She added: “Anyone looking to get a dog should consider adopting from a UK rehoming charity or welfare organisation instead of rescuing from abroad.”
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