Dog diagnosed with E. Coli. Dangerous to humans or dogs? Answered by Dr. Slome

[petdr]

Question:

When a bitch is diagnosed with Ecoli in her uterus after she has been bred and had puppies that eventually died and is put on a sulfa drug, how contagious is she to humans and other dogs?

Answer:

E. Coli is a world wide contaminant and exists everywhere. It depends on the burden or load of the E. Coli that the body is exposed to and the susceptibility and immunity of the person or animal in contact with the bacteria.

While E. Coli is obviously a worry, we are exposed to it daily and usually will not contract the disease. The fact that this dog has also been put on sulpha drugs, this will also help the dog rid the disease and make it less infectious. This is assuming of course that a culture and sensitivity was performed firstly to confirm presence of the disease and secondly to determine which medication is best indicated to treat it.

Practice good husbandry and maintain good sterility and there should be no problem.

Essentially there is contagion everywhere but does not necessarily mean you are at high risk of contracting the disease clinically.

Martin Slome DVM

Centre Street Animal Hospital
7700 Bathurst Street Units 40-42
Thornhill
Ontario
L4J 7Y3
(905) 771-9855