Highly contagious bacterial disease leptospirosis strikes people and Sydney pets

At least 50 people have contracted a highly contagious bacterial disease spread through the urine from infected rats to their pets this year — with reports of at least five dogs dying in as many months.

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At least 50 Australians have contracted a highly contagious bacterial disease spread through the urine of infected animals so far this year as more cases emerge of dogs dying from the illness in inner-city Sydney.

After reports emerged of five dogs dying from leptospirosis in as many months, it can now be revealed another two died at the University of Sydney’s teaching hospital in recent weeks while another fell sick at one of the veterinary specialist centres in Rosebery.

University of Sydney professor of veterinary microbiology and infectious diseases Jacqueline Norris confirmed the deaths, adding there was “cause for concern” because experts still don’t know what “serovar” or strain is circulating.

The highly contagious bacterial disease is spread through rat urine.

This will tell experts the likelihood of the severity of the disease for both animals and humans.

“We haven’t seen this disease in NSW in decades so it’s a high likelihood there’s a common environmental source,” Prof Norris said.

She also said the disease, which is “shed out in the urine”, can easily spread from animals to people.

“You can get direct contact, so directly splashed urine into a mucosal surface like your eye, mouth or skin, but most frequently it’s accessing the same external indirect surface, so out in the environment,” Prof Norris said.

She said symptoms could range from a mild headache to blood in the urine and skin haemorrhages.

Data from the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System shows there have been 50 cases of leptospirosis reported to-date while there were there were 144 cases last year.

A Department of Health spokeswoman said the majority of the cases so far this year were from Queensland.

Symptoms from the disease include mild headaches to blood in urine.

She said “relatively rare” disease had also previously been reported in north-eastern NSW “which is consistent with the bacteria’s predilection to occur in warm and moist environments”, and generally occurred from January to May.

A NSW Health spokeswoman said most cases reported are from regional areas “often in association with floods or mouse plagues”.

“Cases of leptospirosis are usually treated with a course of antibiotics,” the spokeswoman said,

“In response to a case of leptospirosis, NSW Health works closely with veterinary colleagues and Department of Primary Industry.

“The most effective way to prevent any transmission from infected pets or another source of the infection to humans is for people to wash their hands with soap after touching animals, and keep cuts and scratches covered when there is a chance they could come in contact with animal urine.”

Vet nurse Natalia Gomez with five-year-old rottweiler Nero who is in the surgery after swallowing rat bait. Picture: Tracey Nearmy

LIVES OF ANIMALS CLAIMED

A highly contagious bacterial disease spread through rat urine is believed to have claimed the lives of five dogs in inner-city Sydney in as many months.

Vets have issued a warning about the worrying outbreak of leptospirosis, which can be transferred from animals to humans.

Symptoms include fever, headache, chills, vomiting and red eyes, and some people with leptospirosis go on to develop fatal kidney failure and meningitis.

Leptospirosis is usually spread among animals through contact with contaminated water or mud.

It is believed Sydney pets contracted the disease by drinking water contaminated with urine from infected rats and mice.

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Surry Hills practice Vets on Crown has recorded five dog deaths in five months.

“Five dogs who tested positive for the lepto all died, it’s been very sad for us as well as the owners,” a spokeswoman said.

In a Facebook post, the practice urged owners “to consider getting pets vaccinated and to encourage friends and family to contact their local vets to inquire about getting their pets vaccinated too.”

Potts Point Vet also issued a warning on Facebook after treating two leptospirosis cases, suggesting stagnant water from recent rain and light rail construction work, which forced rats and contaminated water to the surface of parkland, were possible factors.

“Environmental flooding (such as what has happened in Surry Hills due to extensive ground disturbance due to the Light Rail) can saturate the soil and prevent evaporation of urine and the presence of stagnant or slow-moving water can prolong survival of organisms in surface water,” it said.

Pet owner Allan Quinnell, 57, from Darlinghurst, is mourning the loss of Bu, his nine-year-old American staffy-shar pei cross, who died six days after she was diagnosed with the disease.

Sydney dog Bu tragically died on her birthday after contracting leptospirosis.

Mr Quinnell said Bu started vomiting and shaking after he walked her in some rubbish-strewn streets.

“She became worse and was shaking with fevers so I took her to Vets on Crown where further blood tests diagnosed lepto,” he said. “She got it on the Thursday and died of cardiac arrest on the Tuesday. I’m devastated; she meant the world to me.”

The incidents of leptospirosis in Australian animals, domestic or otherwise, is unknown.

In humans the bacteria infected 74 of every 1,000 Australians in 2015 — of which 17 were from NSW.

Leptospirosis occurs worldwide, but is more common in tropical and subtropical areas with high rainfall.

In Australia, it is most common in northeastern NSW and Queensland.

US researchers say globally a million humans contract leptospirosis a year, leading to 60,000 deaths.

SYMPTOMS

Leptospirosis causes sudden fever, sore muscles, lack of appetite, lethargy, blood in urine, diarrhoea and yellowing eyes. If left untreated, it can cause severe damage to a pet’s organs and become fatal.

Antibiotics are commonly used to treat sick pets.

Vaccination against Leptospirosis is available but can have adverse reactions and are reserved for dogs at high risk, such as those that spend time exposed to lakes, standing water, mud, soil, or rats.

City of Sydney’s 135 staff and contractors monitor rats as part of their duties either in parks, streets and food premises.

More than 110 of those workers are based in public areas, removing food waste, identifying and backfilling rat holes and reporting rodents for baiting.

Originally published as Highly contagious bacterial disease leptospirosis strikes people and Sydney pets