Ringworm Outbreak Still an Issue 1 Month Later at Coronado Animal Care Facility

Editor's Note: The City of Coronado released the following statement. 

The Coronado Animal Care Facility is set to temporarily shut down November 18 ‒ sooner if all the animals find much-needed foster homes ‒ to deal with a persistent ringworm outbreak, which prompted a self-imposed quarantine last month.

The Animal Care Facility and members of PAWS of Coronado, a private nonprofit animal welfare group, have made a significant effort to manage the outbreak within a facility not designed to isolate airborne skin infections. Unfortunately, animals with ringworm remain a risk to staff and other healthy animals and endanger the regular operation of the Animal Care Facility. 

No animals are euthanized due to lack of space at the Animal Care Facility, and all ringworm-infected animals are being treated. The facility was quarantined after some cats and dogs, as well as several individuals were found to have ringworm after coming into contact with an infected cat. Ringworm is a common fungal skin infection that can quickly spread in shelters or kennels.

Four days after staff members showed symptoms in early September, all animals in the facility were treated with a specially medicated shampoo and all kennels were thoroughly cleaned with bleach and hot water. Due to the ringworm outbreak, new animals admitted to the facility have been kept isolated from other animals that were in the shelter prior to the quarantine.
 
An effort is underway to place both the infected and healthy animals in foster care while the entire facility is cleaned and prepared to once again accept healthy animals. The facility currently has 21 cats and nine dogs.

Residents are encouraged to adopt healthy animals or foster and treat infected animals until they are healthy. This will allow the facility to reopen within three to four days of a complete sterilization of the facility. Infected animals need to be completely cleared of the skin infection before being allowed to return.

"The City regrets that our initial goal of treating the situation in the facility did not prove successful," said Coronado Police Cmdr. Laszlo Waczek, who oversees the Animal Care Facility. "Our staff and dedicated volunteers worked tirelessly to treat the animals. We believe a long-term solution is necessary so our shelter can be fully reopened as soon as possible."

PAWS of Coronado officials have re-tested all the animals in the shelter to identify any additional infected animals and to gather more specific infection information that may help improve treatment.

By November 18, PAWS and Coronado CARES, another Coronado-based animal welfare group, will find foster homes for all of the animals so the cleaning can begin. 

Waczek said he contacted other shelters to learn about their protocols and to request that they help take our infected animals. The protocol for the majority of shelters is to immediately foster out ringworm-infected animals so they can be isolated and treated. Those same shelters euthanize those animals for which foster homes cannot be found so as not to infect other animals or the general population. The few that do not euthanize have specialized isolation units within their facilities to address these issues. Coronado has no such isolation unit. San Diego County officials commended Coronado for attempting in-house treatment in an effort to avoid euthanasia.

The City of Coronado has suspended taking in "at large" cats unless they are injured, and is not accepting relinquishments of any animals. The ringworm protocol that has been put in place includes an anti-fungal medication and once a week dipping of all animals.

Those community members willing to foster or seeking to learn more about fostering are urged to contact PAWS of Coronado at 619-437-1628 or info@pawsofcoronado.org.