Dogs are falling sick with a mystery illness across the United States, with cases being recorded in at least 19 states, according to the latest figures from Louisiana State University's School of Veterinary Medicine.
Cases of Atypical Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex (aCIRDC), as it has been dubbed until the cause of the illness is established, have appeared in Maine, North Dakota and Texas most recently, after being found among dogs in 16 states in mid-December. It was previously documented in 14 states as of the end of November.
Other states with confirmed cases are: California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington state.
Mike Stepien, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, previously told Newsweek it "is currently working with multiple state animal health officials and diagnostic laboratories regarding reports of respiratory illness in dogs that, in rare cases, has progressed rapidly to death," who have "not yet definitively identified the cause of illness."
The illness was first recognized in Oregon earlier in the year, where the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association said it had received 200 reports, with cases appearing to be focused around the Portland area.
Though local dog medics previously told Newsweek there seemed to be little evidence of a widespread outbreak, several seasonal dog events were canceled at the end of last year over fears of the spread of the disease, while health officials have urged owners to limit dogs socializing.
What Are the Symptoms?
Canines that come down with the illness are said to develop symptoms including a cough, fever and lethargy. They can also exhibit sneezing and watery eyes. Some can contract pneumonia and, in some cases, the illness can lead to death.
"This new respiratory illness is starting to present with more symptoms, more severe, they decline more quickly than your typical kennel cough patients would," William Hagans, a veterinarian at the Town & Country Animal Clinic in Hagans, Kentucky told WYMT News.
Experts at LSU's School of Veterinary Medicine said that treatment was currently limited to addressing symptoms due to the unknown nature of the cause of the illness, and urged owners planning to travel with their dogs to ensure it is properly vaccinated.
They added that "there is currently no evidence of zoonotic potential (no evidence it can be spread from animals to people)."
What Is Causing the Illness?
The short answer is we don't know yet. "They still have not found what they call the etiological causative agent," Alan Garett, a veterinarian at Everhart Animal Hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas told KRIS 6 News. "And by that, I mean they want to know what's causing it. Is it a virus? Is it a bacteria?"
The University of New Hampshire's Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory has said that it may have identified a bacterium that may be responsible for the sickness, based on genetic sequencing of 30 dogs that were infected in the state in 2022 and a further 40 from Rhode Island and Massachusetts in 2023.
David Needle, chief pathologist at the diagnostics lab, described the microbe that they had isolated as "a weird bacterium" to NBC News, as it was smaller than normal bacteria that did not have a cell wall. His team has since received samples from Oregon and is expecting more from other states.
Needle previously told Newsweek that the most likely hypothesis was that the illness was caused by a member of "the normal community of bacteria and other microorganisms that live in the respiratory tract," but had developed a "virulence-associate[d] gene/trait."
How Worried Should Dog Owners Be?
Dog owners might be worried about an unknown, potentially deadly illness circulating amongst America's canine population, but veterinarians have said they should be cautious without being frightened.
"At this point in time, I don't think there is reason for extreme alarm," Deborah Silverstein, a professor and veterinarian at the University of Pennsylvania, told the New York Times. "I do think it's a time to be cautious and to stay informed."
She said the animals most at risk were those with low immunity—such as young puppies, the unvaccinated, or older dogs—and potentially short-nosed breeds.
While it might upset the dog, vets recommend keeping them away from other dogs, or at daycare facilities that have stringent health policies.
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Aleks Phillips is a Newsweek U.S. News Reporter based in London. His focus is on U.S. politics and the environment. ... Read more
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