RIGHT SPEAK: WARNING: Experts Warn Deadly Threat to Pets is Sweeping Across the United States; Warning: Dog-killing "liver fluke" Parasite Discovered in US for the First Time

Experts warn deadly threat to pets is sweeping across the United States:

A parasite that can potentially kill dogs has been discovered for the first time in the Colorado River in Southern California, a study from University of California, Riverside said.

The parasite is called Heterobilharzia americana, which is a flatworm more commonly known as a liver fluke.

It had previously mainly been found in Texas and other Gulf states, has now spread west.

“Dogs can die from this infection, so we are hoping to raise public awareness that it’s there,” UC Riverside nematology professor Adler Dillman told the UC Riverside News. “If you’re swimming in the Colorado River with them, your pets are in peril.”

Researchers with the school headed to Blythe, California, on the border with Arizona, and collected and tested 2,000 snails on the banks of the Colorado River there after finding out several dogs infected by the parasite had all swum there.

The study said their findings suggest “a wider distribution [of the parasite] than previously reported. Our findings have implications for public health, veterinary medicine, and biodiversity conservation, contributing to developing effective control strategies to prevent the spread of this emerging infectious disease.”

“In our study, we successfully confirmed the presence of Heterobilharzia americana for the first time along the shores of the Colorado River, infecting two species of snails, Galba humilis and Galba cubensis,” the study authors said. “This significant finding marks the westernmost record of this endemic North American schistosome in the U.S. The identification of the parasite in an area with a documented history of canine schistosomiasis emphasizes the persistence and potential expansion of this parasitic threat.” --->READ MORE HERE

Warning: Dog-killing "liver fluke" parasite discovered in US for the first time:

For the first time, scientists have confirmed the presence of a potentially fatal dog parasite, liver fluke, in a section of the Colorado River that traverses California. This revelation from scientists at UC Riverside has prompted urgent calls for public awareness due to the serious health risk it poses to pets.

Heterobilharzia americana, a flatworm commonly known as liver fluke, has made a surprising journey from its known habitat in Texas and other Gulf Coast states to the west. This marks the first instance of the parasite being identified so far from its original reported locations.

Unseen predatory: The liver fluke invades

The liver fluke is the cause of canine schistosomiasis, a disease affecting dogs’ livers and intestines, which, if left untreated, can lead to death.

“Dogs can die from this infection, so we are hoping to raise public awareness that it’s there,” said UCR nematology professor Adler Dillman. “If you’re swimming in the Colorado River with them, your pets are in peril.”

The discovery followed reports of local dogs showing signs of infection after swimming in the river near Blythe, a border town east of Joshua Tree National Park. In response, Professor Dillman and his team conducted extensive fieldwork, collecting over 2,000 snails from the riverbanks.