Mystery dog disease sweeping the US - the latest on the illness, states, and symptoms

Researchers are continuing to investigate the mystery illness affecting dogs

A mystery dog disease which began to sweep the US last summer is still being investigated. Vet labs in many states are looking into a new, unusual disease that’s been threatening the pet population and worrying animal health professionals, who are working tirelessly to determine the cause of the mysterious disease and work on cures.

Described as a respiratory disease and pneumonia that doesn’t respond to antibiotics, the symptoms of the new disease include coughing, sneezing, discharge from the eyes or nose and general fatigue. The illness is progressing quickly in some dogs, researchers say, with a few falling severely ill from pneumonia in just 24 to 26 hours.

Many dogs have died, but how many remains unclear as researchers attempt to pinpoint the cause of the mystery sickness, said Kurt Williams, director of the Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Oregon State University.

Cases are starting to slow, though, with the American Veterinary Medical Association telling TODAY.com that based on “conversations with various sources… the number of cases are declining,” adding that an “ebb and flow” of respiratory illness in dogs over the course of the year is common, similar to cold and flu season in humans.

The Associated also mentioned how the US Department of Agriculture has not seen evidence that the rise in respiratory illness in dogs is linked to a new virus or bacteria. Another statement from the Animal and Plant Inspection Service, part of the USDA, confirmed that the state-led testing that the agency is helping coordinate “has not indicated the presence of a novel pathogen or single infectious cause among these cases.”

Numerous veterinary diagnostic labs across the country are investigating the outbreak, from Oregon to Kansas to New Hampshire. At least 19 states had reported cases of the illness at last count. The AVMA explained in an earlier statement that the mystery dog illness is difficult to track because there’s no national surveillance system.

The Washington Department of Agriculture said in December the state has received 16 reports of unusual canine respiratory disease with two confirmed cases. The Colorado Department of Agriculture reported they were seeing “double the number of cases than what is typically seen during a canine infectious respiratory disease outbreak.”

The Wisconsin State Journal reported that between late October and December, clinics around the state saw six to 12 cases each, according to Dr. Keith Poulsen, director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at University of Wisconin-Madison.

The Oregon Department of Agriculture tells TODAY.com that it does not know how many dogs have died from the illness in the state. Because most states are not tracking case numbers, it’s not known exactly how many dogs have died from the illness. However, it is confirmed tat some dogs in the U.S. have died from the mystery illness.

What states have seen the mystery dog disease?

Cases matching the description of the mystery dog illnesses reported officially or anecdotally have been in:

Colorado

California

Florida

Georgia

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

New Hampshire

Nevada

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

Tennessee

Vermont

Washington

Wisconsin

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