• The Ohio Department of Health, several other states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) are investigating a multistate outbreak of human Campylobacter infections linked to puppies sold through Petland, a national pet store chain.
  • 16 more ill people with a Campylobacter infection linked to the outbreak have been reported since September 11, 2017. The most recent illness began on September 12, 2017.
  • As of October 3, a total of 55 people with laboratory-confirmed infections or symptoms consistent with Campylobacter infection who live in 12 states (Florida, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming) have been linked to this outbreak.
    • 14 people are Petland employees from 5 states.
    • 35 people either recently purchased a puppy at Petland, visited a Petland, or visited or live in a home with a puppy sold through Petland before illness began.
    • 1 person had sexual contact with a person with a confirmed illness linked to Petland.
    • 4 people were exposed to puppies from various sources.
    • 1 person had unknown puppy exposure.
  • Ill people range in age from <1 year to 86 years, with a median age of 23 years; 38 (69%) are female; and 13 (24%) report being hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
  • Epidemiologic and laboratory evidence indicates that puppies sold through Petland stores are a likely source of this outbreak. Petland is cooperating with public health and animal health officials to address this outbreak.
  • Whole genome sequencing showed samples of Campylobacter isolated from the stool of puppies sold through Petland were closely related to Campylobacter samples isolated from the stool of ill people in multiple states.
  • Clinical samples from people and puppies sickened in this outbreak appear to be resistant to commonly recommended, first-line antibiotics. This means infections with the outbreak strain may not respond well to oral antibiotics usually prescribed to treat Campylobacter infections.