UNH researchers find possible cause of mysterious dog illness
BOSTON - Researchers at the University of New Hampshire have a potential breakthrough into what's causing a mysterious illness in dogs across the country.
They believe bacteria, that's potentially part of the dog microbiome, has recently developed the capacity to cause disease.
They hope that by identifying the bacteria they can ultimately find the right course of treatment for infected dogs.
"The bacteria we found seems to be a little goofy," said David Needle of UNH's Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. "It has some characteristics about it that are atypical for sort of like the normal, general, run-of-the-mill bacteria."
Researchers are now collecting samples from other states that have been impacted by the illness, which will allow them to develop a more specific test.