By Marianne Wood, Bruce Peninsula Press
Tobermory dog owner Cheri Janknegt is hoping to spread awareness about a very rare fungus that recently killed her 6-year-old french bulldog Harlem. The dog was in contact with the Blastomycosis fungus somewhere in the Tobermory area.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website states:
“Blastomycosis is an infection caused by a fungus called Blastomyces. The fungus lives in the environment, particularly in moist soil and in decomposing matter such as wood and leaves.”
The University of Guelph’s Animal Health Laboratory website states:
“Blastomycosis is a systemic mycotic infection caused by the dimorphic fungus Blastomyces dermatitidis. This organism grows in acidic soil in proximity to water and within decaying organic matter…, producing infective spores.
Blastomycosis is primarily a disease of North America, and is considered endemic to the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio River valleys, the Mid-Atlantic States, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and southern Saskatchewan.
Most cases of blastomycosis are acquired by inhalation of spores. The spores enter the terminal airway and establish a primary infection in the lungs. Clinical signs of blastomycosis in dogs can include, but are not restricted to, anorexia, weight loss, cough, dyspnea, ocular disease, lameness, pyrexia, and skin lesions. These signs may have been apparent for days to weeks (occasionally longer) and are of varying severity.
Harlem’s symptoms started out as a small cough. After initially suspecting it was “kennel cough” and a trip to the Southampton Vet Clinic, Harlem was then transferred to the Ontario Vet College in Guelph, ON where Janknegt made the difficult decision to euthanize the family pet instead of letting him endure the months of medication and treatment she was told were necessary.
Janknegt hopes other pet owners can use this information to make informed decisions if they suspect their pet may have been in contact with the fungal spores.
For more information on Blastomycosisvisit www.cdc.gov/fungal/diseases/blastomycosis
