Distemper Outbreak In Long Beach Poses Health Risk To Pets

LONG BEACH, CA — A distemper outbreak in Long Beach poses an animal health crisis, officials warned Thursday.

At least 38 raccoons and one skunk have been sickened by the life-threatening illness, according to the Long Beach Animal Care Services primarily in the eastern area of the city. Distemper is a virus that can easily spread to dogs.

Dogs that are not up-to-date on their vaccinations, as well as unvaccinated puppies, are at the highest risk for contracting distemper. The virus is spread through direct contact with a sickened animal, sharing food and proximity to an infected animal that is coughing or sneezing.

Due to the outbreak, animal care officials are urging pet oweres to get their dogs vaccinated while keeping unvaccinated puppies from unfamiliar dogs. The Long Beach Animal Care Services recommends using caution when socializing dogs or in areas where dogs congregate, such as dog parks, doggy day care and boarding facilities; keeping dogs away from wildlife; and keeping pet food and water indoors.

Animal care officials are not aware of any distemper cases so far associated with dogs in Long Beach as a result of the outbreak, but the affected wildlife has been euthanized, according to a city spokeswoman.

Preventing the disease in dogs is crucial since there is currently no treatment for distemper. The virus does not cause disease in humans or cats. Common clinical signs of distemper in dogs include discharge from the eyes and/or nose, fever, coughing, lethargy, disorientation, tremors and seizures, with similar clinical signs in raccoons and other wildlife.

Residents are urged to report suspected distemper cases to the Long Beach Veterinary Disease Reporting System at longbeach.gov/vdrs to allow for local data collection and sharing with Los Angeles County.

More information about distemper and a history of distemper outbreaks in animals in Los Angeles County is available at:publichealth.lacounty.gov/vet/distemper.htm.

City News Service and Patch staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.