Puppies have sickened at least 30 people with a drug-resistant bacteria, CDC says

Puppy kisses are cute, but they may be dangerous.

At least 30 people have been sickened from a drug-resistant bacteria they most likely picked up after coming in contact with puppies, federal health officials say.

The outbreak of a strain of Campylobacter jejuni, a bacteria commonly associated with food poisoning, has spread to 13 states and caused four hospitalizations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

Most of those infected came in contact with puppies, and many were at pet stores. At least 12 people who were infected came in contact with puppies at Petland, a national pet store chain, the CDC says, including some Petland employees.

That puppy in the window could make you sick as a dog, U.S. health agency warns

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Beware of dog, especially the cute puppies in pet store windows, U.S. health officials warn.

A bacteria resistant to common antibiotics has sickened 30 people this year, sending four of them to hospitals, and puppies are the likely culprit, according to an advisory issued late Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The strain, known as Campylobacter jejuni, is closely related to a 2016 outbreak that health officials said was most likely caused by contact with puppies sold at Petland stores, a nationwide chain of franchised pet stores.

That outbreak sickened 113 people in 17 states between January 2016 and January 2018, with 23 of them requiring hospitalization, the CDC said.

In the current outbreak, the CDC said it interviewed 24 of the people afflicted with the disease, 21 of whom reported contact with a puppy, including 15 who had contact with puppies from a pet store.

Puppies may be behind outbreak that’s sickened people in 13 states, officials say

An illness resistant to multiple drugs that’s hit 13 states and led to four hospitalizations is probably spread by the cutest of culprits, health officials say.

The evidence points to puppies.

Thirty people have reported infections as of Tuesday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which says the outbreak seems to stem mostly from dogs purchased at pet shops. About 70% of those sickened who were interviewed reported contact with a pet store puppy.

No single supplier has been connected to cases of the illness, which often involves bloody diarrhea and can be transmitted through animal feces. But investigations so far link 12 people affected to Petland, a national chain implicated in a previous spate of puppy-related illness involving the same kind of bacteria, Campylobacter. Five of those 12 people were Petland employees, the CDC said.

CDC Recommends Caution Around Puppies as Man’s Best Friend Is Linked to Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria

THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE Control and Prevention is issuing a reminder on puppy care basics after an outbreak of a multidrug-resistant bacteria contracted from pet store puppies has infected more than two dozen people in the U.S.

At least 30 people between the ages of 8 months and 70 years old in 13 states have been infected with the outbreak strain of Campylobacter jejuni, the most common cause of food poisoning in the United States.

The CDC has issued advice for dog owners, reminding them to wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling their pets and cleaning up their pee, poop or vomit. Owners should also try as best they can to keep man’s best friend from licking around their mouth and face.

There have been no reported deaths from the outbreak, but four people have been hospitalized. The CDC is investigating the outbreak, which spanned from Jan. 6 to Nov. 10. Laboratory and epidemiologic tests have determined that the source of the virus is contact with puppies, especially puppies at pet stores.

CDC warns that pet store puppies are making people sick

Taking a new puppy home from the pet store can be an incredibly exciting experience. You’re adopting a living, breathing bundle of cuddles, and by the time you’re ready to bring your new four-legged friend home, you’ve already likely done a whole lot of preparation.

One thing you might not be prepared for, however, is your home’s newest resident making you violently ill. That’s exactly what the CDC is warning, as reports of new puppy owners coming down with severe bacterial infections are piling up across the United States. The bacteria in question, Campylobacter jejuni, has already infected 30 people across 13 states.

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