NYC Parks Isn’t Warning Dog Owners in Williamsburg That Four Dogs Died From Leptospirosis
Four dogs in Williamsburg, Brooklyn are dead from a bacterial disease called leptospirosis.
Dog owners posted the sign below to warn others at the park. NYC Parks told them that the signs will be removed because they don’t have permit to post them.
Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease – meaning it is a bacterial infection that can spread to people and animals. It’s also called Weil’s Disease.
How do people get it the disease from animals? People can get it from touching the water bowls, food or urine of infected animals.
Symptoms of leptospirosis are: fever, headache, and severe muscle aches. Jaundice, kidney failure, or meningitis can develop. Treatment is with antibiotics. (Source)
Many blame the rat population at the park and point out the holes rats have dug into the dog park.
Update: FINALLY THEY WILL BE GETTING SOME HELP!
“Dogs can get leptospirosis from puddles or bodies of water that carry urine from infected wildlife. The bacteria infiltrate a dog’s body by burrowing into their skin.” (Source)
The NYC Department of Health issued a memo about an increase in leptospirosis after 14 people in four boroughs in NYC had it this year (no one in Staten Island had it) – see here Only one person died from the infection.
Oreo, the dog pictured at the top had to be put to sleep and his owner asked that everyone share the information about leptospirosis being in McCarren Dog Park in Williamsburg.
Three other dogs that visited the McCarren Dog Park died in the last week.
You can vaccinate your dog against leptospirosis, but the vaccine isn’t 100% effective against all strains of the disease and protection only lasts about a year. (Source)
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Hugs,
marlene
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