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flu: widespread but treatable
Dog flu: widespread but treatable
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Dog flu: widespread but treatable
By Amanda Spake
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/health/briefs/publichealth/hb050927a.htm
 A
new canine influenza has sickened dogs at greyhound
racing tracks, boarding kennels, and animal shelters
in as many as 11 states, killing some animals,
causing respiratory infections in others, and
striking fear in the hearts of pet owners nationwide.
From January to May 2005, reports of outbreaks
of a new, respiratory disease primarily in racing
dogs came into the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention from Florida, Texas, Arkansas,
Arizona, West Virginia, Kansas, Iowa, Colorado,
Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. Not all of these
are confirmed cases of canine influenza. However,
since this spring, scientists say they've confirmed
cases of dog flu in pets in Florida, New York,
and Massachusetts, and calls are coming in from
veterinarians, shelters, and kennels elsewhere.
First identified in 22 racing greyhounds at a
Florida racetrack in January 2004, the dog flu
is caused by an influenza A virus known as H3N8,
previously seen only in horses. Scientists believe
that the virus made this unprecedented jump from
horses to dogs by a process called "reassortment,"
where two virus strains simultaneously infect
one animal and a new, hybrid strain emerges. Since
dogs appear to have no resistance to this new
hybrid strain, "Nearly all dogs are susceptible,"
explains Cynda Crawford, a professor at the University
of Florida's School of Veterinary Medicine and
one of the scientists who identified the new virus.
About 80 percent of the dogs infected with the
virus will suffer only a mild form of the disease,
says Crawford, a short-term cough and respiratory
illness. But in some dogs, the flu results in
complications, such as pneumonia, that can lead
to hemorrhage in the respiratory tract and death.
"Despite the rumors on the Internet and
elsewhere, this disease is not as deadly as some
have made it seem," says Crawford. "We
don't have all the answers yet, but we are looking
at a mortality rate on the order of 5 to 8 percent
of dogs that become infected."
The dog flu mimics kennel cough, an illness animals
sometimes pick up when they're boarded in kennels
with other dogs. But kennel cough is usually caused
by a bacteria called Bordetella bronchiseptica
and can be prevented with a vaccination. "It's
important for dog owners to keep up with their
bordetella vaccinations so if their dog becomes
ill, they know it's not caused by that particular
bacteria."
Canine influenza is different from kennel cough
in that fever often accompanies a dog's cough,
as does a runny nose and sneezing–which
is apparently how the virus is passed from dog
to dog, just as influenza is passed among humans.
Humans do not seem to be susceptible to the H3N8
virus. It has been common in horses for some 40
years, but has never been transmitted to humans.
However, whether or not a dog lover's close proximity
to their pet might increase the risk of human
infection is unclear. "The bottom line is
we don't know," says Ruben O. Donis, a researcher
at the CDC.
Work is underway to develop a vaccine against
canine influenza. But in the meantime, veterinarians
urge dog owners to use common sense.
"Dog owners who have dogs with a respiratory
infection should keep their dogs at home,"
says Florida's Crawford. "As far as the average
dog owner, they should continue to walk their
dog on the street."
Email your comments or suggestions to letters@usnews.com
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