Ballyhara Irish Wolfhounds

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Blastomycosis

Blasto, the short term for this fungal disease has grave repercussions not just for dogs but humans as well. This disease has been dreaded by many, many dog breeders and farmers in the endemic areas of the country as depicted in the Center for Disease Control (CDC) map below.  First, what is it? The CDC reports:

 

 What should be understood is that, if left undiagnosed, the spores can spread from the infected lungs to other parts of the body, such as the brain and spinal cord. People have fever, chills, drenching sweats, chest pain, difficulty breathing, and coughing. Other symptoms include: 

  • Muscle aches or joint pain
  • Weight loss
  • Fatigue (extreme tiredness)

According to the CDC, Blasto is NOT contagious from animals to people, however, recently, a dear friend was advised by a Pulmonary Specialist that, indeed, in his opinion, Blasto can be transmitted from dog to human as interestingly, my friend had a dog with Blasto. I suppose it could be possible that in the event of confirmed diagnosis, the infected dog had spores on their coat and perhaps while interacting with the dog they may have breathed them into their lungs. Or, while handling a dog with skin lesions -- a typical symptom of Blasto -- that those secretions then transmitted the fungal disease onto the person.

Nonetheless, dogs contracting Blasto face very serious health issues. Merck reports that large breed male dogs, especially hunting and sporting breeds, are most commonly affected. Blastomyces fungus thrives in wet environments like swamps, lakes, and on riverbanks where damp soil and lack of direct sunlight encourage its growth.

The fungus is also found in locations that harbor decaying organic matter like wooded areas, forests, and farms. Blastomycosis infections are prevalent in locations near water, and apparently studies have shown that most dogs who do contract the fungal disease live within a quarter mile of a river.

Symptoms in Dogs are very serious. Healthy Pets by Mercola provides the following:

Take heed. If you have a dog that is diagnosed with Blasto, then proceed with cautionary measures while treating. I would assume that immediate bathing of the dog is in order and as skin lesions present themselves, gloves are necessary during treatment as spores can enter through the skin. The experts state that after infection, the disease transforms into a modified phase and is no longer contagious. I wonder though because Blasto occurs as two different forms. It grows as a mold with spores and as yeast in the tissue and lungs.

Yes, there is a treatment, however, in cases of dogs with advanced Blasto, it is usually fatal. Mercola's recommendations appear to be the most updated and are as follows: