The Nebraska Humane Society will operate on an emergency-only schedule for the next three to five days. The cause is a highly contagious bacterial infection called Streptococcus equi zooepidemicus (Strep zoo). NHS staff and volunteers cleaned every surface in the Humane Society on Sunday after a possible bacterial outbreak was identified. “We’ve only had one dog recently that showed more suspicious, more severe clinical signs,” said Dr. Amber Horn, NHS director of animal medicine. Dr. Horn said the dog began showing symptoms of kennel cough on Friday morning and was in critical condition by Saturday afternoon. “Strep zoo can be a very serious disease,” Dr. Horn said. “Animals can go from not eating, coughing, acting a little bit weird, to suddenly dying.” Horn said she and her colleagues were only becoming more suspicious after the necropsy. “We did a necropsy last night, meaning an autopsy on the animal, and the results point to this Streptococcus equi zooepidemicus being suspected or possible. So we have to take this very seriously and assume it’s this until proven otherwise,” Horn said. Streptococcus zooepidemicus is a bacteria commonly found in kennels, like animal shelters, like the NHS. Because the bacteria is highly contagious and potentially deadly, the NHS has asked them to activate a state of emergency while they wait for official test results. “When we’re caring for the animals, we wear extra suits and boots to make sure we don’t accidentally spread the disease to animals that may not yet be showing symptoms,” Horn said. The bacteria can spread through the air or through direct contact, and to reduce shelter populations, all summer camps have been canceled for the time being and the shelter is not accepting any adoptions. Horn said only one dog showed signs of serious infection, but staff are closely monitoring and treating 40 to 50 other dogs who may be carrying the bacteria. “We are aggressively treating all of the animals in the shelter so we can get them back to normal quicker,” Horn said. “These animals will be given preventative treatment in case this bacteria may be involved.” The shelter is also only accepting new animals in emergency cases. “We have a separate area that is completely isolated from the other animals so we can do what’s called a clean break,” Horn said. Anyone who has adopted a dog from the NHS in the past seven days should be on the lookout for symptoms such as respiratory illness, coughing, runny nose, loss of appetite and depression. If you see any of these symptoms in your pet, contact your vet. All veterinarians are also being asked to contact the NHS medical team to report any cases. Anyone who finds a lost or stray pet in the next three to five days is encouraged to call the NHS. From there, Horn said staff will guide them on what to do next. Horn said they are asking people to take in stray dogs if they can, and the shelter will provide them with supplies and support such as food and bedding. “If for any reason you are not comfortable with having a pet in your home, animal control can arrange for emergency removal of the animal depending on the situation,” Horn said. Streptococcus infection can be devastating to animals at shelters, Horn said. It is a bacteria that is usually found in horses, cows, pigs and guinea pigs. If it infects immunocompromised dogs, it can cause severe pneumonia. There is no vaccine. Cats and immunocompromised humans can also get strep, but Horn said this is extremely rare. If you recently got an animal, Horn said to avoid contact with other animals and avoid public parks until the possibility of strep is cleared. In the event of an emergency, Horn recommends calling the Nebraska Humane Society at 402-444-7800.
The Nebraska Humane Society will be operating on an emergency-only schedule for the next three to five days due to a highly contagious bacterial infection called Streptococcus equi zooepidemicus, also known as “Strep zoo.”
NHS staff and volunteers carried out a cleaning of every surface at the animal welfare society on Sunday after a possible outbreak of bacterial infection was identified.
“Only one animal has so far recently shown more suspicious and severe clinical signs,” NHS veterinary medical director Dr Amber Horne said.
Horne said the dog began showing symptoms of kennel cough on Friday morning and was in critical condition by Saturday afternoon.
“Streptococcus infections can become a very serious disease,” Horn said. “They can go from an animal being a little bit off — not eating, coughing — to sudden death.”
After the autopsy, Horn and his colleagues said their suspicions only grew stronger.
“Last night we performed a necropsy, an autopsy on an animal. [Saturday]”And our findings suggest or point to this Streptococcus equi zooepidemicus, and therefore we have to take this very seriously and assume that this is the cause until we can disprove it,” Horn said.
Streptococcus infection is a bacteria commonly found in kennels such as animal shelters, and because it is highly contagious and potentially fatal, the NHS has asked them to activate a state of emergency while they wait for official test results.
“When I’m taking care of animals, I’ll be wearing an extra suit and boots to cover my feet so I don’t accidentally spread the disease to animals that may not be showing symptoms yet,” Horn said.
Because the bacteria can spread through the air or direct contact, all summer camps have been canceled for now and shelters are not accepting any adoptions in order to reduce shelter capacity.
Horn said only one dog has shown signs of severe infection, but staff are closely monitoring and treating 40 to 50 other dogs who may be carrying the bacteria.
“We are aggressively treating all of the animals at the shelter to help them return to normal more quickly,” Horn said. “These animals will be receiving preventative treatment in case they are infected with this bacteria.”
The shelter only takes in new animals in emergency situations.
“We have a separate area that’s completely isolated from other animals so that they can have what’s called a clean break,” Horn said.
If you’ve adopted a dog from the NHS in the last seven days, you should look out for symptoms such as respiratory illness, coughing, runny nose, loss of appetite and depression – contact your vet if you notice any of these symptoms in your pet.
All veterinary practitioners are asked to contact the NHS medical team and report any cases.
Anyone who finds a lost or stray pet in the next three to five days is urged to call the NHS. Horne says staff will help guide them on what to do next from there. Horne says people are being asked to take in stray animals if they can, and that shelters will provide them with support and supplies like food and bedding.
“If for any reason they are not comfortable having that pet in the home, we can arrange for animal control to come out and take the animal on an emergency basis, depending on the situation,” Horn said.
Horn said strep can be devastating for animals in shelters. It’s a bacteria usually found in horses, cows, pigs and guinea pigs. In immunocompromised dogs, it can cause severe pneumonia. There is no vaccine for the infection.
Cats and immunocompromised humans can also get strep infections, but Horn said it’s extremely rare.
If you’ve recently gotten a pet, Horn says to avoid contact with other animals and avoid public parks until strep infection has been ruled out.
In the event of an emergency, we encourage you to call the Nebraska Humane Society at 402-444-7800.
