A mystery dog illness is now infecting canines in the Yorkshire beaches of the UK. Experts have already warned pet owners to avoid walking their dogs in these areas that infected around 150 pets and suffered from vomiting and diarrhea.
Researchers from the University of Liverpool suggested that some type of coronavirus could have caused the mysterious gastrointestinal disease outbreak. Despite being commonly linked to COVID-19, this coronavirus is not the type that caused the pandemic. Speculations arise and point the cause to a common coronavirus in dogs, called the Canine Enteric Coronavirus (CECoV).
Mystery Gastrointestinal Disease Outbreak Sweeps Through Dogs in the UK
The Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network (SAVSNET) at the University of Liverpool has decided to investigate the mysterious disease outbreak in dogs, IFL Science reported. They confirmed that dogs were indeed infected by a virus that causes symptoms, such as diarrhea and vomiting, in dogs across the country, supporting media reports of canines getting sick.
Early investigations reveal that it began in Yorkshire, a county in northern England. SAVSNET noted a few details about the symptoms of the contagious disease, although much about the illness remains unclear.
Experts said in a statement that the most common clinical signs of the mystery disease outbreak were lack of appetite, vomiting, and diarrhea. They added that 56 out of 88 pet owners had more than dogs reported to have been infected with the virus after showing symptoms. Fortunately, most dogs recovered within 7-14 days, even though around 60% of them needed treatment of some form.
The majority of the infected dogs that had been infected have received vaccines in the last three years and had not visited a beach before the infection, which is contrary to early suspicions that the disease outbreak might be linked to the sea.
Experts Speculate on the Cause of the Mystery Disease Outbreak in the UK
SAVSNET confirmed last week that the number of infected dogs was high enough to count it as an outbreak in Yorkshire, Chronicle Live reported. Although they have not pinpointed its cause, their data suggest that parvovirus is not involved in the current disease outbreak.
As of now, the most likely virus that plays a significant role in the outbreak is speculated to be the CECoV. However, researchers said it is still too early to conclude anything based on the current data. The said virus is known to cause illness in dogs around the world, but not to the extent that it leads to serious illness.
Alan Radford, a professor of veterinary health at the university, said that analysis of real-time data suggests that the levels of disease in Yorkshire have been statistically higher than they would expect. Meanwhile, the increase seen in other regions looks like normal seasonal variation.
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