Cobb County government sent out a message Friday afternoon that the county animal shelter is temporarily closed to the public after a confirmed case of strep zoo involving a dog being housed there.
Cobb spokesman Ross Cavitt said in a release that shelter staff suspected the case after the dog “suddenly became ill” and a portion of the shelter was quarantined as a result.
A test result confirmed the case, and Cavill said the quarantine has been expanded to the entire shelter, which currently houses 285 animals.
“The quarantine will remain in place until shelter staff can treat the entire animal population with antibiotics and conduct further testing,” he said.
Strep zoo is a highly contagious bacterial infection that affects the respiratory systems of animals.
Cavitt said shelter staff will contact individuals who have recently adopted animals at the shelter or who have made appointments.
“Treatment of the population will start when the shipment of antibiotics arrives,” Cavitt said. “A thorough cleaning will take place before the facility reopens. So far, no other animals have displayed symptoms.”
The Cobb Animal Shelter has been closed a few other times in recent years due to dog strep zoo cases, including February 2021 and October 2020.
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