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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27-DECEMBER 03 , 2023
NO. 148
VOL. 12,
LA County to explore distribution of gun locks at hospitals, medical centers
LA County health officials report 10 cases of mysterious canine illness
By City News Service
By City News Service
A
mysterious respiratory disease that has been detected in hundreds of dogs across the country has been reported in 10 canines in Los Angeles County, health officials said Tuesday, prompting an investigation into the origin of the illness and the extent to which it may have spread locally. The unknown illness has been dubbed Atypical Canine Infection Respiratory Disease, and it has been detected in multiple states, including New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Officials in Oregon have reported more than 200 cases, according to media reports in that state. According to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, 10 cases of the illness have been received from veterinarians in the county since
Thursday. The dogs were showing signs of illness, even though they tested negative for all normal respiratory ailments. Symptoms include cough, nasal discharge, sneezing and lethargy. County health officials said owners of the dogs believed to have the new illness are being contacted in hopes of tracking down where the animals may have been infected. Health officials are also coordinating with federal and other state agencies to coordinate the investigation. Cases of the new illness are being defined as occurring in animals that test negative for normal respiratory illnesses but also have at least one of three other indicators: -- chronic respiratory infection lasting more than
six weeks that does not respond to antibiotics; -- chronic pneumonia that is resistant to antibiotics; or -- acute pneumonia that quickly becomes severe and leads to severe illness or death. Owners who believe their pet may be infected should contact their veterinarian and isolate the animal at home for at least 28 days from the time symptoms developed. Owners should also clean and disinfect surfaces and animal equipment. Dogs should also be kept away from day care, boarding kennels, grooming facilities and dog parks. If a dog becomes sick after being boarded, owners should quickly seek veterinary care for the animal and notify the boarding facility about the illness.
Chamber view in a Night Shrike. | Photo by Predator Tactical CC BY-ND 2.0 DEED
T
he county Board of Supervisors Tuesday advanced a proposal that would allow doctors and nurses at county-run hospitals to distribute free gun locks in an effort to promote firearm safety. “Gun locks can save lives -- especially in households with children,” Supervisor Janice Hahn said in a statement after the vote. “Some studies have found that people are more likely to use gun locks if they are given to them by their doctor or in a medical center to take home and I think it is a concept we should explore for our own County hospitals.” The board unanimously
approved a motion by Hahn and Supervisor Hilda Solis that calls on county staff to explore ways of implementing the distribution system, similar to programs operating in other hospitals around the country. The county Department of Public Health’s Office of Violence Prevention and the Department of Health Services was directed to provide a written report within 45 days about the number of county-operated hospitals and medical campuses, the number of gun locks that would be needed to begin the program and a proposed procedure for distribution. The report will also
include a proposed timeline for purchasing the locks and the resources needed to obtain them. “If guns are not safely stored or locked, it can lead to devastating and fatal consequences,” Solis said in a statement. “Gun owners may assume that their families know how to handle a gun, however, if it’s not safely stored or locked, serious injuries or death may result. Hospitals are where many victims end up, and to that end, we can use the opportunity to both educate and provide them with a tangible resource to better protect them and their families from guns -- gun locks.”
Photo by Alvan Nee on Unsplash