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Last fall, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority received reports of sick dogs from every county in the country. The outbreak was first discovered in Oslo, where several dogs developed bloody diarrhea, vomiting and poor general condition.
The cause of the disease remains a mystery.
The outbreak of the disease led to the closure of dog parks, several canine events across the country were canceled, and Norwegian dogs were not wanted at shows in other parts of the Nordic region.
In recent weeks, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority has again received reports of several dogs becoming ill with bloody diarrhea.
There is currently no suspicion of an outbreak similar to last fall, but the Norwegian Food Safety Authority is closely monitoring the development together with the Veterinary Institute.
Ole Hermann Tronerud of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority says several dogs this year tested positive for Providencia alcalifaciens bacteria. It was suspected to be one of the contributing causes of the disease outbreak last year.
Photo: Heidi Gomnæs / NRK
– Now we are not so worried about a similar outbreak, but you can never predict what will happen, how big it may eventually become, says Ole Hermann Tronerud, veterinarian and senior advisor to the NRK Norwegian Food Safety Authority.
The Norwegian Veterinary College has so far reported about 20 cases of dogs with acute bloody diarrhea.
– There have also been reports of some dogs that have died, but we still don’t know if it can be linked to this, says Tronerud.
Bacterial findings
Several dogs that died last fall underwent autopsies at the Veterinary Institute in connection with the outbreak of the disease.
Providencia alcalifaciens bacteria were found in several of the dogs, but despite extensive analysis and sampling, the source of the outbreak was not identified, or if the bacteria could be related with certainty to the outbreak.
No common characteristics were revealed with respect to age, feeding, contact with other dogs or areas, apart from the fact that there were many cases in eastern Norway.
Later, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority said there was nothing to indicate that the disease was easily transmitted between dogs.
Despite extensive analysis and sampling work, the source of the outbreak last year was not identified.
Photo: Runar Henriksen Jørstad / NRK
The bacteria has also been detected in some dogs this year, without it being possible to conclude that it is the cause of the symptoms. However, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority assumes that it is one of the contributing causes of “autumn diarrhea” in dogs.
– We will not do a survey similar to last year. Then we got a lot of data and couldn’t conclude anything. So unless we get something else we can follow up on, we’ll just follow the case as it is now, says Tronerud of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority.
Ask dog owners to contact a veterinarian if the dog has acute bloody diarrhea and to avoid contact with other dogs in such cases so that no infectious disease spreads.
