SIMI VALLEY : Police Dog Sick With Valley Fever

A Simi Valley police dog named Max is sick with valley fever, his veterinarian said Tuesday.

The 3-year-old German shepherd came down with a rasping cough soon after he arrived at the department eight weeks ago, said Sterling Johnson, the officer who handles Charly, the department’s other dog.

“He was coughing and acting a little more irritable than normal, so we took him to the doctor,” Johnson said. “Realistically, though, with proper medication it’s not going to stop him from working.”

John Anderson, the department’s veterinarian, confirmed the diagnosis with the Centers for Disease Control and is continuing to test Max to figure out how far the disease has progressed.

“Usually dogs become lethargic and don’t want to eat, but Max has not come down with those symptoms,” Johnson said. “It appears to be a mild clinical case.”

The airborne fungal virus, which attacks the body’s respiratory system, is not contagious. Since the Jan. 17 earthquake, at least 170 people and 23 dogs have contracted the illness.

A 71-year-old Simi Valley man died of the disease.

Some doctors believe that dust stirred up by the quake led to an outbreak of the illness.

Max’s treatment consists of a twice-daily dose of an anti-fungal pill, Johnson said.