Deadly disease for cats and dogs found at Lake Mendocino

A deadly, untreatable swine disease that also can infect and kill cats and dogs has surfaced in a feral pig in the Lake Mendocino recreation area, triggering a warning to pet owners.

It’s the first time a case of pseudorabies has been found in wild pigs at the 689-acre wildlife management area at Lake Mendocino or anywhere else in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ San Francisco District, which includes Lake Sonoma, said corps spokesman J.D. Hardesty. The corps owns and manages the lake and its park lands.

“There’s just the one” case, he said. But the virus - confirmed by laboratory tests late last week - is highly contagious and often fatal, so officials will be posting signs to warn pet owners to keep their animals away from wild swine.

“There is a health and public safety factor,” said Chris Schooley, supervisory park ranger.

The case was discovered as part of a regular pig-trapping program carried out by federal animal trappers at Lake Mendocino to control the highly reproductive pig population. The program, which has eliminated about 25 pigs from the park this year, includes random tests on the culled animals for diseases, Lake Mendocino Park Ranger Josh Burkhead said.

“I’d say we tested over 15 of them,” he said. Burkhead said there currently are 30 to 50 wild pigs roaming the parklands and surrounding areas. The one that tested positive did not appear sick, he said.

Pseudorabies is unrelated to rabies. It’s actually a herpes virus, also known as Aujeszky’s disease and “mad itch,” for the scratching it can generate in victims.

The disease was dubbed pseudorabies because it can cause symptoms similar to those of rabies. They include abnormal gait, intense scratching, self-mutilation and convulsions, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

The disease primarily affects pigs - for which there is a vaccine - but also has been known to infect other livestock, wild animals, cats and dogs, according to the state agriculture department. Because it’s a virus, antibiotics are ineffective.

Pigs are the only known natural reservoir for the virus, which means they can transmit the disease without appearing to be sick.

The disease can be transmitted through contact with an infected animal’s body fluids or feces and eating infected meat. It’s usually transmitted between pigs through snout-to snout contact. But it also can be carried on the shoes, clothing or bodies of humans who’ve been in contaminated areas, according to state agriculture officials.

Anyone who suspects their pet has come into contact with a feral pig or eaten feral pig meat should contact their veterinarian, Army Corps officials advise.

Symptoms of the disease that are commonly seen in dogs include fever, vomiting, excessive salivation, rapid and labored breathing, depression, lethargy, convulsions, intense scratching and a reluctance to move, according to the PetMD website.

There currently is no effective treatment for the disease, which can lead to death, according to PetMD.

The best prevention is to avoid contact with feral pigs. The disease essentially has been eradicated by vaccination programs in domestic pig populations in the United States, according to The Merck Veterinary Manual.

Mendocino County health officials say the sick pig at Lake Mendocino serves as a reminder that people should keep their pets on leashes when out and about in nature, especially now, with the drought bringing all types of wild animals closer into human territory in search of water.

“It’s a precautionary tale,” interim Public Health Director Dave Jensen said.

You can reach Staff Writer?Glenda Anderson at 462-6473?or glenda.anderson@press?democrat.com. On Twitter ?@MendoReporter