Potentially fatal dog parasite found in part of Colorado River for first time, having spread from other states

From Fox News

A parasite that can potentially kill dogs has been discovered for the first time in the Colorado River in Southern California, according to a study from the University of California, Riverside. The parasite is called Heterobilharzia americana, which is a flatworm more commonly known as a liver fluke. It had previously mainly been found in Texas and other Gulf states but has now spread west.

“Dogs can die from this infection, so we are hoping to raise public awareness that it’s there,” UC Riverside nematology professor Adler Dillman told the UC Riverside News. “If you’re swimming in the Colorado River with them, your pets are in peril.”

Researchers with the school headed to Blythe, California, on the border with Arizona, and collected and tested 2,000 snails on the banks of the Colorado River there after finding out several dogs infected by the parasite had all swum there. Read the entire article here: https://www.foxnews.com/health/potentially-fatal-dog-parasite-found-colorado-river-first-time-spread-other-states

Short URL: https://caninechronicle.com/?p=283206

Posted by Liz on Mar 23 2024. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.