Philly shelter closures caused by 'strep zoo'

Philadelphia

-- An outbreak that killed six dogs, resulting in the quarantine of two Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PSPCA) shelters and a hospital, has been attributed to "strep zoo," a bacterial infection.

The canine deaths, which began May 27, resulted in the deaths of two dogs and another four that had to be euthanized, according to the PSPCA. The deaths were initially suspected to have been caused by canine influenza, but lab results showed the true cause to be Streptococcus equi, also known as "strep zoo," a bacterial infection easily treated with penicillin.

"We reached out to experts at Penn and we are in the process of implementing treatment protocols at both shelters," says Dr. Rachel Lee, PSPCA's director of shelter medicine and chief investigative veterinarian.

The PSPCA reopened the two closed Philadelphia shelters and hospital affected by the outbreak June 5.