Rory Thomson

Roker Park Vets, Sunderland, United Kingdom

Objectives

Outbreaks of gastrointestinal disease are frequently observed in small animal practice, yet the source of such outbreaks is often undetermined. This study investigates a potential association between untreated sewage discharges from Whitburn Steel Pumping Station and gastrointestinal illness in dogs residing in the surrounding SR6 postcode area between January 2023 and December 2024.

Methods

The prescription of anti-diarrhoea and anti-emetic medications were used as a marker of gastrointestinal disease incidence.  Practice management system dispensing data from Roker Park Vets was analysed from patients residing in the SR6 postcode area and compared with sewage discharge records from 2023 and 2024 from Whitburn Steel Pumping Station.  A gastrointestinal disease ‘outbreak’ defined as a weekly increase in prescription of gastrointestinal medication of 80% or more above the mean weekly number of gastrointestinal medications prescribed.

Results

Over the study period, 33 sewage discharge events were documented, with 12 defined gastrointestinal outbreaks identified. Six of these outbreaks (50%) occurred concurrently with or within one week of a sewage discharge.

Statement: Impact/ Clinical Significance

These findings suggest a temporal correlation between sewage discharges and canine gastrointestinal illness, indicating that sewage discharges may pose a measurable health risk to companion animals. While alternative infectious and non-infectious causes of GI disease are acknowledged, this study provides evidence supporting the need for further investigation into the wider implications of sewage discharges for animal, human, and environmental health.