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.
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.


METHODS
Prospective cohort study.


METHODS
27 working dogs.


METHODS
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
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.
Fox
Philip R
PR
Caspary Institute of the Animal Medical Center, 510 E 62nd Street, New York, NY 10065, USA.
Puschner
Birgit
B
Ebel
Joseph G
JG
D000818:Animals; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004285:Dogs; D004630:Emergencies / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000662:veterinary; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018635:Rescue Work / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D023481:Terrorism; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*