String of Deadly Infections Kills 3 Dogs, Shuts Down Animal Control in Florida

A South Florida animal care center Phas temporarily suspended its intake operations after a deadly infection killed three dogs at the facility.

Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control, in West Palm Beach county,  reports that a deadly bacteria known as streptococcus zooepidemicus, also known as strep zoo, has spread to several dogs throughout the facility, according to local news. 

Once staff there confirmed the pathogen, they swiftly moved to shut down the facility to prevent further spread and administer treatments to other animals that may have been exposed.

While it may sound similar to strep throat, the bacterial infection frequently seen in humans during the winter months, strep zoo is a completely different and much more serious, respiratory condition in animals. 

The infection can cause fever, sneezing, coughing, labored breathing and lethargy, and if not treated promptly, severe pneumonia that can sometimes cause fatal bleeding in the lungs can rapidly develop.

Strep zoo is highly contagious, which is why the facility in Palm Beach quickly moved to temporarily shut its doors. But they aren’t the only animal care center that has been affected by an outbreak of strep zoo recently, Dr. Kathleen Woodie told local affiliate WPTV.

"We've heard [of] this happening in nine other institutions across the nation," Dr. Woodie said.

Similar reports have emerged in California and Nevada recently as well.

Of note, strep zoo is not the condition to blame for the string of mysterious respiratory illnesses in dogs that has been spreading throughout multiple states. That condition, while serious, lingers for several weeks.

Veterinarians are not completely sure what is causing that specific illness, how to treat it or how it is spreading. Reports of current cases indicate that it starts with a mild cough that lingers for several weeks before sometimes leading to bronchitis and even pneumonia.