THESE are the lungworm hotspots in Brighton and Hove that pose a deadly risk to dogs.

The damp weather across Sussex is expected to cause slug and snail activity to explode, meaning dogs are at greater risk of contracting lungworm in the garden, on walks and even by drinking from water bowls or puddles.

Dogs can be infected with the potentially fatal parasite when they eat common slugs and snails in their garden or on walks.

They can also pick up lungworm while rummaging through undergrowth, eating grass, drinking from puddles or outdoor water bowls, or picking it up from their toys.

To warn dog owners of the dangers, Elanco Animal Health created an interactive Lungworm Map outlining the hotspots across the county.

Users can enter their postcode on the website and discover their closest hotspots - avoiding the potentially deadly disease.

In Brighton, almost 1,300 cases reported within a 50-mile radius of the city.

Dr Bryony Tolhurst, a behavioural ecologist at the University of Brighton, said: “The slime of slugs and snails can contain the infective lungworm parasite that can cause disease in dogs.

“With the unusually damp weather the UK has been experiencing this year, slugs and snails are more active, and lungworm larvae can survive for up to two weeks in their slime, potentially exposing dogs to the parasite.”

Vets are warning that the signs of lungworm are not always obvious, and puppies can be especially likely to eat slugs and snails, due to their inquisitive nature.