UC Riverside scientists verify, for the primary time, {that a} probably deadly canine parasite is current in a portion of the Colorado River that runs by means of California.
The parasite, Heterobilharzia americanais a flatworm generally known as liver fluke. Previously discovered almost completely in Texas and different Gulf Coast states, it has by no means been reported this far west. The worm may cause canine schistosomiasis, an sickness that impacts the liver and intestines of dogs.
“Dogs can die from this infection, so we are hoping to raise public awareness that it’s there,” mentioned UCR nematology professor Adler Dillman. “If you’re swimming in the Colorado River with them, your pets are in peril.”
After studying about instances of the an infection in native dogs, Dillman assembled a analysis group and headed to Blythe, a border city east of Joshua Tree National Park in Riverside County, the place the sick dogs had all hung out swimming within the river.
The an infection is pushed by the presence of a snail that transmits the worm. The analysis group collected greater than 2,000 snails from the banks of the river. A paper revealed at this time within the journal Pathogens describes how the group used DNA to verify the id of each the snails and the flatworm.
“We actually found two species of snails that can support H. americana in the river in Blythe, and we found both snails actively shedding this worm,” Dillman mentioned. “Not only was it a surprise to find H. americanawe also did not know that the snails were present here.”
After reworking itself inside one of many snails, the worm ventures out with the objective of discovering a mammal to contaminate. In this stage it could possibly solely survive by itself for about 24 hours. If a canine or a raccoon is within the water, or consuming, then it will get contaminated.
“It gets into the veins of the intestinal lining, and that’s where it develops into an adult and mates,” Dillman mentioned. “The presence of the adults in the veins isn’t the problem. It’s the eggs that get into the lungs, spleen, liver, and heart. The immune system tries to deal with it, and hard clusters of immune cells called granulomas form. Eventually the organ tissues stop functioning.”
Once contaminated, it may be a number of months earlier than the worst signs of the sickness seem. Since 2019 in California, 11 dogs in three counties have been confirmed with this illness, and one has died. Health officers hope that with consciousness they’ll forestall additional infections and deaths.
“Symptoms start gradually with a loss of appetite, and eventually include vomiting, diarrhea, profound weight loss, and signs of liver disease. If your dog has these symptoms after swimming in the Colorado River, it’s a good precaution to ask your veterinarian for a simple fecal test,” mentioned Emily Beeler, a veterinarian with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
“Treatment typically involves use of multiple medications and close monitoring of the dog by a veterinarian,” Beeler mentioned.
It is essential to notice that H. americana isn’t identified to be able to inflicting illness in people. “It can cause swimmer’s itch, a red rash where it penetrates human skin. But it’s not able to cause infection,” Dillman mentioned.
Additionally, Dillman hopes to allay issues that the parasite might be contaminating city consuming water. “Compared to other pathogens these worms are fairly large. They can easily be filtered out with common water purification strategies,” he mentioned. Though there is no such thing as a trigger for concern about contamination of water sources, consuming the water straight remains to be inadvisable.
“You have viruses, bacteria, and other parasites such as Giardia in rivers,” Dillman mentioned. “Nobody should be drinking straight out of the river, and that has nothing to do with this particular parasite.”
(Cover picture: amriphoto/iStock/Getty)
