Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Health effects in NYPD working dogs after 9/11 World Trade Center
By Fox, Philip R et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2008·Caspary Institute of the Animal Medical Center, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Assessment of acute injuries, exposure to environmental toxins, and five-year health surveillance of New York Police Department working dogs following the September 11, 2001, World Trade Center terrorist attack.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 27 working dogs from the New York Police Department experienced various health issues after assisting in rescue efforts at the World Trade Center following the September 11 attacks. During the first week, many dogs showed signs of fatigue, respiratory problems, decreased appetite, and dehydration. Fortunately, most of these issues were minor and did not lead to long-term health problems. Over a five-year follow-up, only mild health conditions were noted, and none of the dogs developed chronic respiratory diseases. Overall, while the dogs faced acute challenges, their long-term health remained largely unaffected.
People also search for: NYPD working dogs health issues · dog respiratory problems after 9/11 · working dog fatigue symptoms
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine deployment logistics of New York Police Department (NYPD) working dogs that assisted in relief efforts at the World Trade Center (WTC) site following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack; establish types and rates of related acute injuries and illnesses; identify environmental toxin exposures; and determine long-term (ie, 5-year) health effects of deployment. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. ANIMALS: 27 working dogs. PROCEDURES: Deployment logistics for the period from September 11, 2001, through May 30, 2002, were determined, and acute health disorders were identified by means of physical examination; a questionnaire; interviews with dog handlers; and toxicologic (blood and hair samples), clinicopathologic, microbiologic (nasal swab specimens submitted for Bacillus anthracis culture), and radiographic methods. Long-term health surveillance ended September 21, 2006. RESULTS: Dogs worked a total of 1,428 days (15,148 hours) at the site. Seventeen of the 27 (62.9%) dogs had health disorders during the first week. Specific conditions included fatigue (incidence rate [events/1,000 active deployment hours], 13.1), conjunctival irritation (13.1), respiratory tract problems (12.4), decreased appetite (10.8), dehydration (10), and cuts (9.3). Only minor hematologic and serum biochemical abnormalities were identified. Bacterial culture of nasal swab specimens did not yield B anthracis. Only mild and infrequent health conditions were identified during the 5-year follow-up period. None of the dogs were identified as having chronic respiratory tract disease. Six dogs died of various causes. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggested that acute injuries and illnesses were common among NYPD working dogs deployed to the WTC disaster site, but that longterm health complications were minimal.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18593312/