Scientists find dog killing parasite in Colorado River

YUMA, AZ (AZFamily) — Scientists are warning pet owners about a dog-killing parasite found in the Colorado River in Southern California near the Arizona border.

Professor Adler Dillman with the University of California Riverside said the parasite, heterobilharzia americana, also known as liver fluke, could potentially be found in a larger portion of the river.

Dillman said this is the first time this parasite has been seen in the West.

“It was identified, this parasite in Moab, Utah. It was in a man-made pond, but that pond was less than 300 feet from a tributary of the Colorado River and so it is very likely that this parasite is at least from Moab, Utah and down to the Gulf of Mexico,” he said.

He said more testing needs to be done to see what areas contain the parasite.

Dillman said the parasite doesn’t affect humans, but pet owners need to take caution.

“Lake Havasu and some of those other areas that people like to spend time in and recreate in that’s great. I will still encourage people to have a good time, but if you have a dog, I would be careful,” he said.

He was first alerted to the parasite after a group of veterinarians reached out to him.

“In the last five years they had seen 11 cases of canine schistosomiasis which is a particular disease caused by this parasite,” he said.

That’s when Dillman said they collected about 2,000 snails from the river bank and found that the parasite known as liver fluke was present in the snails.

He said the parasite could be deadly for dogs, who can be infected by drinking or swimming in infested water.

“There are some symptoms that occur during that time. Your dog might get a fever, subject to vomiting, diarrhea and bloody diarrhea. This can be treated. We have drugs that work very well,” he said.

Dillman said more testing needs to be done, but he advises dog owners to keep their pets out of the water.

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