Alert service warns vets of local disease outbreaks

Pet Disease Alerts, a nonprofit established by the Companion Animal Parasite Council, announced the launch of a new service to alert veterinarians and pet owners about local infectious disease outbreaks.

The alert service as of now tracks outbreaks of leptospirosis, a highly infectious bacterial disease that can be fatal to unvaccinated dogs and transmitted to people. This fall, the service will add alerts for other bacterial and viral diseases, including canine influenza.

To receive leptospirosis alerts, veterinarians can complete a registration form on the Pet Disease Alerts website. For a $5 donation, they can indicate three counties to monitor for a year. If cases of leptospirosis are detected in those areas, the service will send an alert by email and/or text.

“Because highly infectious diseases like leptospirosis can spread rapidly, it’s essential for veterinarians and dog owners to have timely, local information about diagnosed cases,” said Chris Carpenter, a veterinarian and CEO of Pet Disease Alerts. “Pet Disease Alerts is the first and only service to directly communicate current, positive leptospirosis cases in every county in the United States.”

Unvaccinated dogs and people can contract the disease when in direct contact with stagnant water and soil contaminated by the urine of infected animals like raccoons, rats or other wildlife. Common sources of infection include puddles, creeks, ponds, shallow lakes and rivers.