The CDC is investigating an outbreak of Campylobacter, a bacterial infection that is being linked to puppies bought in Petland stores.
39 cases of Campylobacter have been reported since September of 2016, most in Ohio and Florida, though people in Pennsylvania, Kansas, Tennesee, and Wisconsin have be infected as well. Nine people have been hospitalized but there have been no deaths reported. Of the 39 people infected, 12 were employees of Petland stores, and all others had either purchased a dog from a Petland store, or interacted with one. People of all ages have been infected, the youngest under a year old.
Humans and animals experience the same symptoms while infected, which include fever, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain and cramps. Symptoms tend to begin 2 to 5 days after exposure and can last a week.
It’s just another reason that you should adopt – don’t shop.
Petland stores are notoriously unethical and known for selling puppy mill dogs. An investigation by the Humane Society of the US in 2009 showed that most Petland stores obtained their puppies from puppy mills instead of getting them through responsible breeders, as they claimed. More recent investigations have proven that little has changed in the eight years since.
Other stores, like Petsmart, only offer cats and dogs that are available to adopt through local rescues. Petland has always taken a stance against legislation that would block them from selling commercially-bred dogs and continues to do so. A bill in Tennessee earlier this year that would have required pet stores to offer refunds to customers who bought sick dogs was even nicknamed “The Petland Bill” for the number of complaints customers have lodged against the store.
The CDC and the Ohio Department of Health are working to find the source of the infection. Samples taken from infected humans and animals show that all instances of the infection have come from the same strain of bacteria.
H/T: newsweek.com
