Lepto outbreak in MI
 

Bacterial Infection Killing Metro Detroit Pets - Video - WDIV Detroit

And that's one good reason to never say that the vaccine shouldn't be used (imo)... This would be a residential and business area of Michigan. There aren't a ton of wooded areas/country areas. This owner had no idea that there was anything wrong until it was way too late. Not saying to vaccinate, but unfortunately I don't think it is a clear choice to skip it here.

Wow! Thanks for posting this! My 2 boys get the lepto shot.

Thanks so much for posting.

I agree with you Ellie May. I always say it is a personal decision, as it is; however, when it is in your area I personally see no other solution. Especially if you have children or family members who are immunocompromised, as it can be passed from your pets to them. I feel sorry for this family. No one expects it to happen to them.

Infection killing pets, and rats may be carrier - The Macomb Daily News: Breaking news coverage for Macomb County, Michigan

Here's another article about it. Bumping to keep near the top.

Awesome post ...
We should never say never right ???
I hope more and more people get to see this !
XOXO

Bumping

Son of a gun!! :( So sad!!! And now I don't know what to do. Bella reacted to it when she had her 2nd vaccine as a puppy, so we haven't given anymore. If they react, you're not supposed to give it again, right?? And now we have a new puppy coming soon, so the question is, do I get her vaccinated?? It sounds like she noticed her dog was lethargic and then 6 days later the dog died. I wonder if she went to the vet right away?? Maybe if we notice a change and get right to the vet and get on antibiotics, we'd catch it??

My cousin came down with lepto a couple of years ago, and it was nasty, nasty, NASTY! He is young, robust, and very healthy, not immunocompromised at all! It was touch and go for a while, and there was a strong possibility that he would be left with permanent damage, but he did come out of it mostly OK. I'm sure he must have been exposed on the job, he's a vet in New Zealand and his specialty is large animals so he deals with a lot of herds outdoors.

My house is built on land that was used for cattle grazing only 4 years ago, and the dog park that we frequent was used for grazing only a year ago. You definitely have to weigh the risks on an individual basis.

I am so sorry to hear about your cousin. Most Americans never get to hear that side of the story. They believe that it is bacteria that only applies to those who do not have proper water treatment facilities.
Unfortunately the infection is spreading throughout our country; in both our domestic and wildlife. Current research on our white-tailed deer population has shown that most of their blood work is coming back exhibiting antibodies, produced due to infection by Lepto.
It is more prevalent then most of us know.
I wish the best for you cousin.

That is such a SAD story. :(

Poor Maximo. That is just so incredibly devastating.

I know... Jackson also reacted to it badly at his second vet appt at 12 weeks old. The vet immediately placed a "NO LEPTO" in big red letters on his file. It's such a tough thing to decide. I really would be scared to risk it again, since sometimes they say the second reaction is often worse. *sigh*

No, a non-core vaccine should not be given again if it caused a serious reaction the first time (and usually that applies to less severe reactions also).

We live....not far from where this is happening. The vaccine almost killed my girl the first time, so obviously she will not get it. But she is at risk everytime we go outside, so we pretty much don't want to walk her or anything now. sigh. I think (jmo) if it is not given (and there are many good reasons not to give it to small dogs), then maybe spending time where the bacteria is likely to be found is a bad idea (which is sad for the dog). :(

Bella's reaction was more mild...lethargy, fever, and severely painful injection site.

Can we go over again where the bacteria is likely to be found (unless there is an outbreak, like in the Detroit area)??

We go out to potty: our yard is super small, not fenced, VERY near a major road, and less than 20 or so feet away is brush (grass/weeds, bushes, trees...what you'd expect to see in the country. I live on the outer edge of Milwaukee, but they preserved some "countryside" in the midst of the city. Just beyond the brush I was talking about is a trail that is for walking/jogging/biking. The trail is paved, and maybe 10 ft or so on either side is kept mowed...but you literally feel like you're in the country!)

Very occasionally, we go out to play: In some spots on the trail I was talking about, they keep it mowed back much further...far enough that I feel very comfortable letting Bella off leash in these areas to run/play, and she has a pretty decent recall anyway, so I keep her away from the edges with vocal commands. But again, wildlife is around, and I'm sure they hang out in these areas too. For example, I see deer all the time just off the trail in the brush, and I've seen deer in some of the clearings they keep mowed too.

We NEVER go in low areas that stay wet for any length of time after a rain, and we NEVER play near water of any kind either! And we NEVER go into the brush....EVER!!

I feel like I make a really good attempt stay in safe places (or not???), but I also want her to be a dog! To always keep her indoors or never let her run in a mowed field would just kill me!!

IF the places we go would be considered high risk (which, if anyone thinks they are, please let me know!!!), I can only think of 2 alternatives. 1) My vet suggested pre-medicating with a low dose steroid and antihistamine before the vaccine. I really would prefer not to have to give the vaccine at all, and I'm not sure pre-medicating would make me feel any better about it. 2) If Lepto is contracted by licking infected urine, couldn't we lessen our exposure by not playing on wet grass and by washing feet and faces when we get home from playing??

I would hope the vets are testing to see exactly what strain of lepto is causing this. According to my vet, the lepto shot only works against 1 or 2 strains of lepto and there are at least 6 active strains out there (kind-of like the human flu vaccine).

I know it is a topic for much debate, but the fact still remains that all toy breed dogs are at an extremely high risk of adverse reactions from this particular vaccination as well......

Great post in info....
 

Thanks for posting... we live about 1.5 west of there...People need to see this info...

[QUOTE=bellasmomok;3253766]Bella's reaction was more mild...lethargy, fever, and severely painful injection site.

Can we go over again where the bacteria is likely to be found (unless there is an outbreak, like in the Detroit area)??


Unfortunately the organism is everywhere here in the US, mainly from the urinary shedding of organisms from infected animals. I do not just mean rats, but also cats who are carriers of the disease, and our family pups who have not been diagnosed, who remain asymptomatic, yet are highly infectious. The current vaccine holds the predominate 4 out of the 230 various serovars which have been identified. Out of these 230 serovars, 8 are known to cause disease in both dogs and cats. The first 4 are the most commonly acquired bacterial infection in dogs. They are:
Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae, L. canicola, L. grippotyphosa, L. pomona, L. bratislava, L. automnalis, L. bataviae, L. hardjo, and L. grippotyphosa.

In 2004, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals came out with a multi-strain vaccine that accounts for the top 4 infectious serovars.

One of the main issues, is that not all pups who acquire the disease become symptomatic. In the 2007 Michigan study, 25% of the unvaccinated healthy dogs in a control group were found to have antibodies to Lepto. This indicates that at one point, the dogs were infected unknown to their owners.

Here is my problem. When we take our pups out to healthy areas to play, our front yard, the dog park, the mall area; we never really know what dog has urinated in those areas. In consideration that most dogs are left unvaccinated and untreated, then we have to acknowledge that they are still subject to organism shedding in their urine. So despite our best efforts to take our pups to "safe" places where we do not see any rats or wild animals; what about the other infected dogs?

A last thought to consider. Most of our pups will end up dying do to complications surrounding CIN, kidney failure. Lepto left unvaccinated and untreated will establish colonies within the kidney and liver and gradually, systematically, destroy the functionality of these two organs. So is the kidney failure do to old age, or is it do to Lepto bacterial infection?

My vet sent out a notice about this through facebook today.

So you're FOR vaccinating then? See that's what I struggle with....especially having a small dog who has already reacted to the vaccine once. I struggle with risking her life by vaccinating her, and even more so because it has to be given EVERY year, or basically risking her life taking her out to play. And I struggle with wanting her to be safe/healthy and wanting her to be a normal happy dog! And then, you have to ask yourself where to draw the line too...we can't be protected against everything, so should we really stay indoors and live in a bubble?? (just a rhetoric question, not suggesting anyone actually thinks that!! ;)) These are such horribly gray areas to me, I have a really hard time knowing what to do. I wish there were statistics out there like there are for humans...like x% of dogs who ride in vehicles unrestrained die, or y% of dogs who are unvaccinated against z die from contracting it. The safest thing is to use some sort of restraint device when your dog is in the car...you never know when you might have a collision. But how many of us restrain them every single time we put them in the car? I personally have a Snoozer console seat, but the only time I buckle Bella in is when I'll be on the highway, i.e. driving over 40mph. I know that's not the same thing...but it would be interesting to know the statistics on something like that so we could judge better what we're comfortable with. It's impossible to take every precaution....so where do I draw the line, ya know??

I understand completely! Am I really FOR vaccinations, no not really. In fact if you query some members here on YT, they would inform you that I am dead set against several of the human ones.

However, the deeper I delve into research in this area of Lepto bacterial infections, the more research I find connecting chronic illness among the elderly population of our animals, and a Lepto infection which has gone undiagnosed, unvaccinated, and unnoticed. Left untreated Lepto is cruel in its methods.

What do you do? That is the tough question, isn't it? I can only inform you as to what I know from my research, supply facts and documentation as to what the process of this disease is.

I personally, do give the shot. I medicate with steroids before hand, and stay 30-40 minutes after it.
My little girl is 4.5 pounds. She has Lymes, and the thought of her having kidney or liver complications compounded onto this disease through Lepto, frightens me.

I think everyone has to weigh the facts for their particular situation, and then do their best to protect their pups, no matter what that may be.
I understand your feelings, and empathize with you completely. Making a decision about this vaccine, either way, is not easy by any stretch of the imagination! It is surrounded by "What-ifs"! :confused:

I read an article today about the Lepto shot that sort of talked me out of it....again! :p

Leptospirosis

It has a lot of good points... I also read the AAHA recommendations, which are to only vaccinate toy dogs if they are considered high risk. I really think we'd be closer to moderate risk (if low risk meant never goes outside).

This thread everyone should really take the time to read.
That is why i am bumping it !
XOXO

Question?
I was reading the symptoms of Lepto but they seem pretty quick.
How can it go undiagnosed? What would be the symptoms in a dog that has had it for a while be?

There are vaccinations for four strains of leptospirosis, but there are 9 strains of lepto. Also, these vaccinations are only good for about four months, so lepto vaccinations need to be planned accordingly (lepto is most common in the fall and spring). The lepto vaccine does have many side effects, which include anaphylactic shock. A lot of universities are no longer supporters of vaccinating for lepto. Also, the vaccines against lepto are not that effective in preventing the disease and it's believed may actually facilitate carrier states. Personally I have decided not to vaccinate. I watch for symptoms and try to keep myself familiar with the symptoms of lepto. It must be caught quickly to make treatment effective though.

It can go undiagnosed because the main symptoms are as simple as listless, not eating, urinating more frequently, and drinking more water. So, vet's may not know what to be exactly looking/testing for. Complete blood tests, fungal panels, and urinalysis can all come back completely normal when a dog is infected too! The most important thing is that if a dog is dehydrated (main symptom of lepto) one needs to get them started on IV therapy and get a lepto titer.

That is the problem with Lepto, many cases go undiagnosed as those who become infected are asymptomatic; or show no signs of infection or illness. Meanwhile, they are infectious and shed the organism through their urine: as this particular bacteria likes to establish footholds in both the kidneys and liver. The symptoms and signs of Lepto when they are displayed are fever , lethargy, nausea, anorexia.

Diagnosis is done through a blood serum test, or by culture growth taken from the blood, spinal fluid, urine, or specific tissues.

When animals become infected, the Lepto bacteria is found throughout the body; eyes, spleen, liver, kidney, and even the genital track. As the animals immune system begins to kick in and starts producing antibodies to the bacteria, most of the spirochetes are cleared away. However, within the kidneys and liver spirochetes have a unique protein-bound-defensive-mechanism which allows them to exist within these two organs, without being attacked by the antibodies, essentially making the infected a host.
As a result, animals that serve as reservoirs of host-adapted serovars can shed high concentrations of the organism in their urine without showing clinical evidence of disease. Thereby infecting others, continuing the cycle of the disease.

Vaccination does not 100% protect your pup from infection, but it allows the pups immune system to produce antibodies to fight infection when it does occur. These antibodies, last at latest research, around a year or less.

Leptospirosis is one of those distinct bacterial infections that survives in a range of environments. It survives within a complex organism such as an animal or human, it can survive in rivers and streams after being eliminated through a hosts urine, and in can survive in soil and on plant life.

In is an interesting bacteria, and researchers definitely have their hands full.
Hope this helps some......

Thank you for posting this, Im in mich and have not heard anything. again thank you, I will be passing this on to my freinds.

Melcakes:I too, have read several blogs that have posted this information, but as of yet, I have not been able to identify any research literature from which this has been obtained: and quite honestly I am left questioning its validity as there is no clinical papertrail that I personally have found.

I know that the "The Handbook of Zoonoses" states that the Lepto vaccine is manufactured predominantly through bacterins grown on protein-supplemented media, which are then killed through chemical addition before vaccine creation.

My curiosity lies in how these dead-bacterins can then develop live colonies? If you have any doctoral theses or veterinarian clinical studies that you acquired during your research that you are willing to share , I would be grateful, as this enigma has hounded me for the last several months. :rolleyes:
Thanks.....

I'm curious. Have you asked your vet how many cases they've seen in the past year? I'd love to know a baseline number for a higher-risk area.