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Protecting Your Pooch From a Potentially Deadly Virus
http://www.wsaw.com/home/headlines/7635406.html

Veterinarians in Northcentral Wisconsin say they've been seeing more an more cases of blastomycosis.

It's an infection that can be deadly if it's not caught early.

Not only does it affect people, but man's best friend.

That's because they are closer to the ground, and playing or walking them in certain areas only increases their odds of getting it.

Blastomycosis outbreaks are commonly associated with activities along rivers and streams because there can be a lot of moist soil and rotting wood.

But outbreaks can also occur far from water, such as in freshly plowed gardens and fields.

"It actually doesn't have to be wet very long," says Dr. Jeff Mills of Countryside Animal Hospital in Merrill. "The fungus can grow up into the soil and any of those areas when the soil's turned over, it releases spores."

Once it's in your dog's lungs, it can take months before any symptoms develop.

Mills says if you notice problems such as coughing or fever, you should take your dog in right away.

But there are ways to help prevent your dog from getting infected.

"We usually stay on the paths," says dog owner Jane Lang. "We stay on the grass and she never seems to get anything."

But if your dog comes down with blasto, vets say don't panic.

"That's something that always worries people, is that something as deadly and nasty as blasto can be, whether it's safe to even have them in the house, and it is," Mills says. "There's not transmission from pet to you or you to your pet."

Mills says he's seen about eight cases of blasto so far this year.