Fort Dodge Animal Health Promotes Lepto Awareness
September 15, 2005
Dear Media Colleague:
When Petey, a Welsh corgi, was diagnosed with leptospirosis, his pet owner also experienced symptoms and believed she may have contracted the disease from him. Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease, which means animals can transmit it to people. Outbreaks of leptospirosis, or "lepto," are on the rise nationwide. It is a potentially life-threatening disease for pets and is the number one infectious cause of acute renal failure in dogs. Symptoms in pets include vomiting, diarrhea and fatigue.
Dogs are exposed to leptospirosis when they come into contact with contaminated water or moist soil where infected wildlife, such as raccoons, skunks, opossums, squirrels, rats and sometimes other dogs, have urinated. Once infected, dogs don't necessarily exhibit symptoms of leptospirosis, increasing the likelihood the disease will go undiagnosed.
Vaccinating dogs against leptospirosis is the best prevention. Other measures of prevention include discouraging dogs from drinking out of ponds or puddles and removing food, garbage or nesting materials from their yards that may attract wildlife.
Fort Dodge Animal Health is a leader in the animal health industry in providing vaccines to protect against the emerging strains of leptospirosis, as well as the traditional strains of the disease. When pets are vaccinated, further outbreaks can be prevented. Most importantly, our pets are protected against this serious disease.
This kit includes information we feel will be useful to you in reporting on leptospirosis. We can also provide you with distinguished veterinary immunologists, virologists, practicing veterinarians and Fort Dodge Animal Health Professional Services veterinarians to address the rising incidence of leptospirosis and how to keep pets and people healthy.
For further information or to set up an interview, please contact Lea-Ann Germinder, APR, at lgerminder@germinder.com, or Lane Lyons at lanel@germinder.com. You may also call Germinder & Associates, Inc., at 816-822-0192.
Craig Wallace
Vice President of Marketing
Fort Dodge Animal Health
