# Regional Diseases Spreading to New Areas



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Novel emerging diseases and reemerging diseases along with regional translocation of particularly vector borne diseases are prominent topics in my microbiology courses. I am glad to see general audience oriented reporting on these issues. 



Climate change plays a role in these events but international trade and travel, autochthonous transmission, natural disasters and such play a role as well. It is difficult to sort anthropogenic from natural causes in many instances, but why a change has occurred in perhaps less important than it having occurred.


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## Viking Queen (Nov 12, 2014)

I live in Colorado where researchers at Colorado State University study all kinds of mosquito borne and tick born diseases. A friend of mine worked at the lab where this research is done. He knows all of the prominent researchers at the University. When the whole Zika, mosquito borne, disease issue hit the news and hit the fan the head researcher for CSU's study traveled to an area where Zika was prevalent. He protected himself well against getting the disease. A while after he returned home and was back to work his wife became quite ill with what was eventually diagnosed as Zika. She has never been to a part of the country where Zika exists. His wife did not accompany him on his research trip. Upon further study it was determined that she was the first KNOWN person to have contracted Zika through sexual contact, not from the usual mosquito borne means of transmission. She got it from her husband who was discovered to be positive, but asymptomatic, for the disease.

I read on a Poodle facebook page last night about a woman in Canada who got a Spoo pup shipped from a supposedly reputable breeder in Missouri. The pup arrived by air, emaciated, filled with various worms, covered in ticks and fleas, severe ear and eye infections. Yet, there was a vet certificate stating that the pup was healthy, it is suspected that this document was forged, and yet this pup, undoubtedly from a puppy mill, has traveled into another country carrying GOD KNOWS what other diseases and parasites on board.

Think of the dogs from South America, Mexico, Korea and other places which are being transported into America and Canada by various "Rescue" organizations and bringing diseases such as dog flu, Rabies, brucellosis, and heaven knows what else into our countries.

Human diseases once thought to be nearly erradicated in our country are coming back with the illegal, unchecked hundreds of thousands of invaders coming here from other countries. They have brought back tuberculosis, measles, mumps, chicken pox, typhoid fever, the plague and other diseases. Over 200 people from Africa came across The Rio Grande river and illegally and without any health checks into our country last week. They are from an area very close to where there is a current outbreak of Ebola. It is just a matter of time before we have a epidemic of Ebola in our country from infected people breaching our borders. Just waiting for another polio epidemic to come from an unprotected un vaccinated country into ours. I am old enough to remember the horrors of polio.

Both animals and humans are bringing diseases into our country because they are not being screened properly at our borders. There was a very good reason why we had Ellis Island and why people received very vigorous heath screenings there before being allowed into the country. Many were turned back because they were ill.

I believe that much of the resurgance of certain diseases and the introduction of diseases previously not known in the United States and Canada is due to lax border control and lack of heallth screening of both humans and pets than it is due to climate change.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Viking Queen said:


> I live in Colorado where researchers at Colorado State University study all kinds of mosquito borne and tick born diseases. A friend of mine worked at the lab where this research is done. He knows all of the prominent researchers at the University. When the whole Zika, mosquito borne, disease issue hit the news and hit the fan the head researcher for CSU's study traveled to an area where Zika was prevalent. He protected himself well against getting the disease. A while after he returned home and was back to work his wife became quite ill with what was eventually diagnosed as Zika. She has never been to a part of the country where Zika exists. His wife did not accompany him on his research trip. Upon further study it was determined that she was the first KNOWN person to have contracted Zika through sexual contact, not from the usual mosquito borne means of transmission. She got it from her husband who was discovered to be positive, but asymptomatic, for the disease.
> 
> I read on a Poodle facebook page last night about a woman in Canada who got a Spoo pup shipped from a supposedly reputable breeder in Missouri. The pup arrived by air, emaciated, filled with various worms, covered in ticks and fleas, severe ear and eye infections. Yet, there was a vet certificate stating that the pup was healthy, it is suspected that this document was forged, and yet this pup, undoubtedly from a puppy mill, has traveled into another country carrying GOD KNOWS what other diseases and parasites on board.
> 
> ...


:adore:

That's another damn good reason to support the securing of our borders.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Viking Queen said:


> I live in Colorado where researchers at Colorado State University study all kinds of mosquito borne and tick born diseases. A friend of mine worked at the lab where this research is done. He knows all of the prominent researchers at the University. When the whole Zika, mosquito borne, disease issue hit the news and hit the fan the head researcher for CSU's study traveled to an area where Zika was prevalent. He protected himself well against getting the disease. A while after he returned home and was back to work his wife became quite ill with what was eventually diagnosed as Zika. She has never been to a part of the country where Zika exists. His wife did not accompany him on his research trip. Upon further study it was determined that she was the first KNOWN person to have contracted Zika through sexual contact, not from the usual mosquito borne means of transmission. She got it from her husband who was discovered to be positive, but asymptomatic, for the disease.
> 
> I read on a Poodle facebook page last night about a woman in Canada who got a Spoo pup shipped from a supposedly reputable breeder in Missouri. The pup arrived by air, emaciated, filled with various worms, covered in ticks and fleas, severe ear and eye infections. Yet, there was a vet certificate stating that the pup was healthy, it is suspected that this document was forged, and yet this pup, undoubtedly from a puppy mill, has traveled into another country carrying GOD KNOWS what other diseases and parasites on board.
> 
> ...



While I think that infectious disease risks are an important part of why we need to have control of our borders and how people enter the country I have to disagree with parts of the claims made in the bolded paragraph.


The current measles outbreaks are not related to undocumented immigration. They are instead the result of autochthonous transmission that started among nonvaccinated Jewish children who are legal US residents/ citizens who have been exposed to the virus during trips to Israel.
https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/health/health-topics/measles.page
County of Rockland, New York :: Measles Information


Plague has been endemic in the western US for decades since it is present in western rural rodents. https://www.cdc.gov/plague/maps/index.html There is no current evidence that this pattern is changing.


Polio, mumps and chicken pox are entirely preventable by maintaining good herd immunity (as is measles). So we need to convince the anti vaxxers that they need to get themselves and their children immunized to maintain such vaccine preventable illnesses at sporadic status, which will be effective even if people enter the country who are not immune or who are actually infected. NYS just took a step in this direction by passing a law eliminating religious exemptions from being vaccinated. https://www.lohud.com/story/news/20...ous-exemption-school-vaccinations/1445973001/


TB is much more complicated than to blame the whole problem there on immigration: lack of public funding for TB detection and control; the role of prisons in new TB infections; the role of the deinstitutionalization of involuntarily committed psychiatric patients and the subsequent rise in homelessness that put many at risk for TB (homelessness, poor nutrition, poor access to diagnosis, poor treatment compliance) and the emergence of drug resistance all weigh much more heavily at the current time. https://www.cdc.gov/tb/default.htm



I could continue at length but in the interest of my time and the hopes that by not going on further some people will actually read and give consideration to my evidence supported points I will stop here.


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## Viking Queen (Nov 12, 2014)

I will continue to believe that uncontrolled access, illegal entry with no screenings for either health issues or the LEGAL right to enter our country, eith by humans or animals brought here by so called "rescue" groups is endangering the lawfull citizens of our country and should be and must be stopped.

We have laws which are not being followed and this needs to change. . . Otherwise, why have laws at all?


https://hannity.com/media-room/repo...exposure-to-chicken-pox-mumps-other-diseases/


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

VQ I actually agree with most of what you discussed, particularly the foolishness of importing animals for rescue from overseas. But I believe in balanced and objective evidence based dialogue about how to find the correct solutions and we will have to disagree about a few points, including that I find 99%+ of what Sean Hannity has to say to be devoid of objective evidence.


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## Viking Queen (Nov 12, 2014)

You believe what you want to believe and I shall believe what I want to believe.

Importing people or animals who will bring or are bringing into our country dangerous diseases makes no sense to me and should be stopped.

That said, I am out of here.......

P.S. if you actually read the page from Hannity's web site...he did not write that...it is from the Washington Examiner. There might actually be SOME validity to the information in the article....just because it was posted by Hannity and obviously you can't stand the guy and you don't align with him politicaly does not mean that everything in the article is invalid.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I don't actually like using the word believe in this context. My understanding and POV about important events and issues is not based on belief, but rather objective evidence. The Washington Examiner is not a news organization of objective journalists say as at the Wall Street Journal (with a right leaning editorial page), but an excellent paper with good investigative reporting or the Washington Post (with a mixed opinion editorial page) but also good investigators. 

BTW I did read the piece at your link.

I am sorry you feel that there is no conversation to be had here. The saddest aspect to me of how the world is today is that any conversation, including one perhaps about poodles, or another where mostly we are in agreement about why it matters to know who enters our country animals and people included has to become so toxic to the parties involved that they declare they are finished before the discussion has barely begun. I deal with this all of the time because my own family is deeply divided on these issues (I should put you in contact with my mother). I also have frequent conversations with friends and colleagues who sit on the other side of the legal divide yet in the case of my family we still love each other and my friends are still my diverse friends.


I hope the original topic here can be discussed further. It is not actually new, but nonetheless of ongoing importance all the more so now as movement of goods, animals and people reaches new levels.


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## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

I live in a border state (New Mexico) that has a kind and welcoming attitude toward all people. We do have a very few people who object to migrants, but by and large we are sympathetic to them. After all, this is a nation of immigrants - unless you are a native American, you are either an immigrant or a descendant of immigrants!

I live fairly close to Albuquerque. Albuquerque handles hundreds of migrants - gives them food and shelter and assists them in getting to relatives all over the USA. Kindness and caring beat fear and hatred in my book!


I have noticed that the people who are most opposed to migrants are NOT people who live in one of the border states!


People who help the migrants have stated over and over again that they are NOT bringing diseases. If you have a negative attitude toward migrants, try googling "conditions in Honduras today" - it will really open your eyes as to why Hondurans are fleeing.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

I think that it's much to complex a subject. Probably the reason for increased health problems comes from a multitude of reasons or sources, not one single cause. Furthermore, I don't think that supporting or believing in the *law* and taking pre-cautions for our county is synonymous with being unsympathetic or unkind, as is repeatedly implied. And I get a little sick of hearing such utter insults and ignorance from the left. But that's typical leftist m.o.


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## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

Guess I'm a leftist. I believe in kindness to and caring for others.


By the way, most of the migrants who actually end up in the US have proved to our border agents that they are lawful immigrants - they are not breaking the law. After all, US laws do allow in people seeking asylum.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

To try to bring this thread back to its original topic I live in one of those areas where there are lots of actual and potential vector borne illnesses for people and other animals. On Friday I helped remove a deer tick from my friend's leg using the forceps in my travel dog first aid kit. She thinks she picked it up in her backyard. She breeds CKCS so she has many reasons to be concerned about Lyme. We also have abundant dog ticks and some lone star ticks on Long Island. They can transmit an assortment of other infectious agents such as spotted fever, babesiosis and erlichiosis. We also have plenty of leptospirosis in wildlife.


I have chosen to immunize the poodles against Lyme (not Peeves since he doesn't travel much these days). We don't have deer right in my neighborhood, but do have raccoons and opossums along with rabbits. There is some risk of ticks in our yard but I think the chickens ranging and foraging help mitigate against them and the diseases for which they are the vectors.


For those of you in risk areas what preventive and protective measures to you use?


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

In my area and even in the far north Idaho panhandle where I lived before, all the vets I saw said there really isn't any heart worm where we live. I wonder if that's changing. I haven't done any preventative measures for that because that's what I've been told. Most of the tick borne illnesses I don't think we have either. I have pulled ticks out of past dogs plenty of times but I don't think they carried anything scary, at least as far as I was told. But they can still cause infections. So, I don't vaccinate against any of those types of things. I hope I'm doing right, as I see things can change. What do you think Catherine? Where I live there are very few mosquitoes, though there are some. Back in Idaho there were tons...man eating monsters. Here, we usually have fleas but since I've lived in my new place...zero. And in the house before I moved, not far from here, the dogs got fleas maybe one or two times but then not again for ages. Maybe the colder, snowier winters help knock them out. We had no fleas in N. Idaho. None. It was awesome.


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## Dogs4Life (May 27, 2018)

I'm in southern Wisconsin now (just moved) and so far it's been a crazy June. Usually by now the mosquitoes are in full force and I start giving heartworm preventative the end of April/early May. This year it's been a chilly June so not many mosquitoes. Dogs are always on heartworm preventative until the end of October. I have also considered extra protection against Lyme, but for now my dogs are mostly inside and my vet told me it might not be necessary. However, given all of the new wildlife roaming the neighborhoods lately, I might just get the extra protection for them.


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## Viking Queen (Nov 12, 2014)

We have lots of ticks here and many tick borne diseases and new varieties of ticks now in our state which presumably have arrived here by hitch hiking on dogs or other animals coming from out of state. I doubt that they are here because of climate change. I have a very close friend whose 2 teenage children and wife all had very advanced cases of lime disease and they went through years of pure hell trying to be cured of this terrible condition. With tens of thousands of out of pocket dollars because health insurance would not pay for much of the treatment, they have all finally been purged of this terrible debilitating disease. This had nothing to do with climate change 

The plague is an academic discussion for some but can be a very real disease for those of us in Colorado to have to be aware of and deal with. Most Coloradoans know full well how it is transmitted and what we need to be aware of and stay away from. Paririe Dogs are the most common host animal for the fleas which carry the disease. We can have and have had diagnosed cases of the plague here in our state. We have prairie dog colonies all over the state and even in our city right in the middle of town two blocks from where I live there is a colony. Feral cats and pet cats allowed to roam hunt the prairie dogs and sometimes ranch dogs or urban dogs come in contact with them as well. Contact with a pet or feral animal who is infested with infected fleas can and does result in humans being infected as well. Veterinarians, vet techs, rescue group employees or foster families are the most likely victims of flea bites and they are most of the people who have contracted the disease. A year ago we had an illegal encampment of homeless people living between a field which housed a prairie dog colony and the river. When they were relocated to a local shelter they transported the fleas they were hosting to the shelter which then became infested with fleas....thank goodness no one got the plague but it was always a possibility. One of those individuals did become ill and was diagnosed with TB....he received some of his antibiotic treatments, but not all, and went missing into the population. Never to be found and out around possibly infecting others around him....who knows where he is now, but this is how TB can be spread with illegal humans bringing the disease into our country, not being diagnosed at a port of entry because they come across the river, skirting the port of entry. This type of spreading of disease is due to ignoring our immigration laws, ignorance about how important treatment is and ignorance about how the disease can be spread throughout our population. This is not due to climate change.

We, here in Colorado, have bus loads, UHaul truck loads and van loads of illegal immigrants being transported into our state and into our communities. I am of the opinion that if you want to come into our country you come legally and follow the laws just like my Grandparents did when they came here. They had to come, be checked out for disease, bring a marketable skill, have a job promised and waiting for them, and be sponsored by a person or family who was already here legally. I don't think that is unreasonable. 

In our state we have tremendous amount of dogs being brought here from other countries and other parts of our country by some very sketchy "rescue" groups. When I worked at our local pet/feed store we had these groups showing up at our door several times a week asking for money donations to support them or asking to set up adoption events in our parking lot or in the store. Most groups could not provide any proof that they were legitimate organizations and most could not provide any health certificates or health documents from veterinarians for thee dogs they had with them. Often the dogs were very unhealthy and unkempt. There were several groups bringing "reservation" dogs or dogs from Central America, South America, or Mexico. I have seen van loads of sickly looking animals with fleas, mange, infected eyes, emaciated and terrified of all people. We turned these groups all away and notified local animal control officers of their presence, so that they could make contact with the rescue groups and treat any ill animals. These dogs were not harboring diseases caused by climate change....rather diseases of neglect, or from being feral animals.

Ranchers here, and the rest of us, do face a very real threat from a common disease....rabies. In recent years our beautiful urban fox population was slowly dying off from a combination of mange and many cases of rabies. Local wildlife officials finally killed the remaining terribly diseased animals due to danger of transmitting these two diseases to our family pets as well as to livestock. We miss our Urban Fox population very much! That same year there were 3 Bison in a herd kept on the edge of our city by Colorado State University near their chronic Wasting Disease research facility. One of the bison suddenly became very ill and had to be destroyed. Upon examination it was found to have contracted rabies. By then the other two were ill, destroyed and tested. They, too had rabies. All of the humans who had contact with those animals had to be treated for rabies. Thankfully they all survived. This was not caused by climate change

This year, by May, our county has had 13 confirmed cases of rabies in skunks and one Steer on a ranch confirmed with rabies. This is not climate change, but is an alarming trend for ranchers as well as for the general population.

Ranchers as well as pet owners are becoming quite alarmed at the prospect of a new strain of brucellosis which was brought to North America, Canada, by an animal rescue group which imported rescue dogs from Korea. This disease has no known cure, can be transmitted to cattle, bison, dogs and humans and could be devastating to farmers and ranchers every where. All because a well meaning dog rescue group brought infected animals to North America.

I don't understand how this is allowed. How the animals can be brought here and not be quarrantined for a period of time to ensure that they are disease free. This is not a case of climate change causing disease.

My friends who work at our local CDC lab and other friends who work at CSU research facilities all report that they are very concerned about clusters of communicable diseases once thought mostly irradicated in the US now showing up in various parts of the country. Yes, we hear about the group of Jews in NY and their antivaccination position and the outbreak of measles there. However, we don't hear about the many other outbreaks in parts of the country in communities which are largely immigrant communities, some of whom are here legally and some are not here legally. There is no doubt in the minds of those researchers that many of the communicable disease outbreaks are due to groups of people bringing those diseases into their communities when they come to the country. Some of the people who come here are ignorant about vaccinations preventing the diseases, some are afraid to be vaccinated because they don't want the "authorities" to know about them being here, some do not vaccinate due to religious beliefs. What ever the reason, this places every one of us in danger of contracting diseases once thought irradicated, or in the case of Ebola, a new and deadly disease possibly coming into our country. It is only a matter of time...... I am not OK with that....regardless of the immigration status of the individual who brings that illness with them.

Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary, Kevin McAleenan told the Senate Judiciary Committee that 90 percent of Assylum Seekers who come into the country are never seen again and they DO NOT show up for their court date.

Just because I believe people should be law abiding when they come to our country, just because I want people to immigrate properly instead of invading our sovereign borders, does not make me an unkind, or uncaring, or racist, or Deplorable person. To imply or state that I am such an awful person would be more untrue than you could ever imagine. I am a patriot. I am a person who believes in the rule of law. I am a person who cares deeply about others. 

My Mother was a United States Marine during WWII, My Father was a United States Marine during WWII, and he served in the south pacific; Dad's youngest Brother, Morgan, was a United States Marine during WWII who lost his life at age 18 on Okinawa; another of Dad's brothers, Ernie, fought and was wounded in Africa and Italy during WWII; Dad's brother Bud fought and survived the battle of Guadal Canal; there were 5 other Uncles of mine who served in the military during WWII, one who survived the attack on Pearl Harbor. I had a cousin who was a United States Marine and who served in Vietnam and my Sister served as a civilian in Vietnam and in Okinawa. I have a cousin who worked as an officer in Customs and Border Patrol for 25 yrs and later as an agent for the FBI for 15 yrs. 

Our family believes deeply in our Country, our constitution and our Sovereignty, and our family members have fought to protect our rights, your rights, our safety, your safety, and the safety and freedom of other countries as well. 
We are NOT unkind nor uncaring people, as has been implied.


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

I think it’s wild that measles is back after being eradicated. I feel so cheated that the HPV vaccination wasn’t available to my son. DH and I both got Tdap vaccinations before our first visit with our grandson. I remember reading an article about an adult child, very expensively hospitalized with one of those childhood diseases, can’t remember which one, who could not believe when his mother admitted she and her husband didn’t think vaccinations were necessary. He had previously sailed through life assuming he was protected and now had a $50K hospital tab.

I’m certain climate change will bring new diseases. Ticks and mosquitoes always spreading cheer and new surprises... Houstonians had a surge of skin issues from waterborne whatever’s after Harvey, probably pets did too. Air quality alerts can’t be good for man nor beast. Is it a coincidence that we hear of more and more wildlife threatened with extinction or the last one of its species died? Respect for science died in 2016 and that makes the U.S. so not great.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

This info is from seattledogspot.com re heartworm increase in Washington. 

https://www.seattledogspot.com/heartworm-cases-washington-state/

September 5, 2018 by Seattle DogSpot (below is a portion of the article)

"Why Have Heartworm Cases in Washington State Increased So Significantly?

When we got our first dog in 2002, our vet told us we didn’t need to give him heartworm prevention medication because so few cases were ever reported in Washington.
But when I took one of our dogs in for an annual check up last month, the vet said he should be tested for heartworm because it has become more prevalent in Washington over the last few years.
To confirm the increase in heartworm cases I contacted Dr. Brian Joseph, the State Veterinarian at the Washington State Department of Agriculture.
Dr. Joseph oversees the Department’s Animal Health Program. Veterinarians send him monthly reports regarding how many cases of heartworm they find.
He confirmed that heartworm cases have risen in Washington over the last few years and gave 3 reasons for the increase:

climate change
lack of prevention
unscrupulous rescue groups that bring heartworm positive dogs in that state with inaccurate, fake or no certificates of veterinary inspection (health certificates)"

The maps are also in the original article I copied, but they didn't show in the copy. I'm adding them here

















"Mosquitos need a warm climate to reproduce. The warmer the weather, the faster they propagate.

Hot weather increases the rate at which mosquitos reproduce. Temperatures in Washington have been above historical norms since 2012, and 2015 was the hottest year on record. Image from the National Centers for Environmental Information.
In an interview with KUOW in 2014, Washington State University entomologist Sharon Collman said, “In hot weather, it can take a mosquito egg four to five days to mature to adulthood. In cool weather, it takes two to three weeks.”
Charts from the National Centers for Environmental Information show that temperatures in almost all of Washington have been above average or well above average for every year from 2012 – 2017; the average temperature for 2015 was the warmest on record.
Based on this information, it’s reasonable to assume that above normal average temperature in Washington in the last 5 years created a favorable environment for mosquitos to reproduce more quickly.
Hot weather = More mosquitos = Greater Potential for Heartworm to Thrive"









I don't think many of us would disagree that the Earth's climate has changed in the eons since it was created. It shouldn't be just a buzzword to say that the Earth is a dynamic, living thing. Living things change. The climate is changing and that means that habitats change. If habitats change, the entities that live there will either change to adapt, or will find new places similar to their old habitats to take up residence.

I know that these are long articles but it's because they are presenting a lot of information. I try to copy the highlights usually, hoping that some will take the time to read and follow up with their own investigation. 

Whether we like it or not, whether we agree on how or why this is happening, for the sake of our dogs, the question is what will we do to keep them healthy?


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Thanks R&P. That's freaks me out even though I live in Clallam county. It's low but still...I've never had to do the preventative for heart worm before. So gosh...I think I have to start, especially since I travel to Snohomish county sometimes, which is more prevalent. Is it a terrible drug? I guess no worse than getting heart worm. What a terrible thing _that_ is!!! Thanks for the information. Those are good charts and maps etc. Much appreciated.

Those unscrupulous rescues or anyone else who brings infected dogs into the country without the health checks ought to be strung up!!!:angry:


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## Mufar42 (Jan 1, 2017)

Yes pig, I agree we must secure our borders. And yes its not all because of immigration. But illegal entry to any country has consequences. No vetting, no immunizations cause risks. Ebola is once again popping up in the Congo, and you have a large number of immigrants coming in. Asylum seekers even though being allowed to come in are not following protocol and are just disappearing. You know I'm not about not allowing but we can't take care of our own. What about them? My daughter has a BA in biology, integrated sciences, 2 weeks shy of getting her during degree, failed by 1.8 points, gets no help and can't find a job that will allow her enough money to live. To me this hits me personally, she is hard working, reliable and good person and is getting no where..if she sought asylum from another country she gets lots of services and sympathies. And my daughter is not alone I have other acquaintances that also have difficulties. Its easy to be sympathetic when you have a good paying job and y our needs are all being met. K thats enough I'm feeling bad today lots of heath issues going on in my household.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Look what I came across:

https://fairhavenvet.com/heartworm-in-wa/



> Is there heartworm risk in WA? The good news is we live in an area that does not support the sustained development of this serious parasite. Thanks to our relatively cold climate, western WA is not an area of concern for heartworm. According to the American Heartworm Society, laboratory studies indicate that development and maturation of heartworm microfilariae in mosquito populations require a steady 24 hour daily temperature in excess of 64 degrees for at least 1 month. This is definitely unlikely in our current climate and relatively infrequent for much of the rest of WA state.



It's_ rarely_ as much as 64 degrees at night and NEVER for a whole month. We're lucky if it's as much as 64 degrees during the day for a whole week, much less a whole month. lol.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

My concern with that article is that it's from 2013. I went to the American Heartworm Society website. They are pretty heavily sponsored by big drug companies, but I don't think that'll change the science.

https://www.heartwormsociety.org/

and their 2018 Veterinary Heartworm Guidelines 

https://d3ft8sckhnqim2.cloudfront.net/images/pdf/2018-AHS-Canine-Guidelines-181114.pdf?1542248135

I haven't found the specific reference to the 24hr 1month above 64 degree requirement on the site yet although I don't doubt it as a generality. The Seattle Dog Spot article gave heartworm case numbers by county for 2012 on, almost all showing an increase in cases (where reported). The 2012 reports were not likely in when the Fairhaven Vet article was written.

Numbers aside, I'm thinking of doing what the author of the Seattle Dog Spot article did and just contact my state veterinarian to see what the recommendations for my area are.

I really really don't like giving any unnecessary drugs, vaccinations, immunizations, preventatives to my dogs, but I will if/when I'm convinced that the risk of the disease is greater than the risk from the prevention. The risks are changing and I hope to keep my boys safe. I'm now doing heartworm, deworm, and flea and tick year round, and will reconsider the Lyme prevention. I've got more investigating to do.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

A trusted resource for me is the prestigious veterinary school university in Pullman, Washington State University. Here is an interesting article from them.

https://wsvma.site-ym.com/page/494

This also mentions the 24 hr/64 degree/one month requirement for heart worm to develop.

I haven't really noticed any time where it was over 64 degrees steadily for 24hr, 1 month straight. It's not particularly humid except in winter when it's cold and rainy. And eastern Wa is dry and desert. At any rate, we don't have many mosquitoes. But if there is an increase in heart worm in my state, it appears it is on account of dogs coming into our state from somewhere else where they got heart worm. Or some other possibilities, like man made humid type climates that attract mosquitoes. It mentions a few reasons like that. But as far as the parasites thriving and developing in this climate, it seems unlikely...and yet, that other site says it's on the increase. So...creeeeeepy. :afraid:

If you find anymore, I'd be interested. Like you, I want to research things to the inth degree before giving my dogs drugs or vaccines that may not be worth it. Measuring risk factors is everything.


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## Michigan Gal (Jun 4, 2019)

Back to dogs. 

My mosquito eradicator is the small pond we dug. The mosquitos lay their eggs in it and the fish eat them. I also give black walnut hull tincture for heart worm. This tonic kills other parasites as well.

As for tick and flea borne illnesses, I find chickens work real well. I also educate myself on nutrition and have all my dogs, permanent and foster, on predator raw. I think they are healthier and better able to repel insects. While everyone around me have had trouble with fleas, I don't. Just a thought.

Some vaccinations do not work well. My cat died from a disease he was vaccinated from. My vet does not vaccinate for Lyme disease because she is not happy with the vaccination. 

It all comes down to being self educated and doing what you think is best in your area.


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

Heart worms are absolutely an issue here. I think every vet’s office I’ve been in either had a plastic anatomical display of a dog heart with heart worms or a poster. I have known folks with rescues that had heart worms and it was touch and go, but thankfully with happy endings. Flea and tick/heart worm preventatives are not optional in this climate.


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