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Canine Influenza
written by Linda Aronson, DVM
Despite all the panic in the presses,canine influenza is not
the threat
we’ve been led to believe. This is not bird flu. Still, we
need to inform ourselves
of the facts so we can be prepared in case our dogs get
sick.
Canine influenza is a viral disease and it is thought to be
a mutation of
the virus that causes equine influenza.Actually, this also
is a group of
viruses. Dogs should never be vaccinated with products
intended for the control of equine flu. Two clinical forms
have been reported in dogs. The mild form resembles kennel
cough caused by the Bor d a te l l a bron c hi s ep t i c a/parainfluenza
virus complex. Dogs may have a dry cough - like kennel cough
- or a soft moist cough. This form lasts for 10 to 30 days.
There may also be a thick, often green, nasal discharge as a
result of secondary bacterial infection. Dogs with the
severe form have high fevers (104 to106oF) and clinical
signs of pneumonia (possibly due to secondary bacterial
infection). Because this is a new disease virtually all dogs
will be susceptible to infection, and about 80% of exposed
dogs will show signs of
illness; most though have the mild form. About 5 to 8% of
the dogs developing pneumonia have died.The disease was
first seen among
racing greyhounds at a Florida track.in January 2004, from
there it spread
to other tracks, and finally to pet dogs, at first in pet
shelters, humane
societies, pet stores, breeding kennels and finally in the
general pet
population. To check to see if canine influenza has been
reported in your
state go to the Cornell Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
site
http://www.diaglab.vet.cornell.edu/issues/civ-stat.asp
spectrum antibiotic. Dogs with the severe form or any that
are dehydrated
should receive intravenous fluids too. Because dogs catch
the
virus from other dogs avoiding sick dogs is the best
prevention. Boarding
kennels and other places where dogs are in close proximity
should be carefully
monitored, and steer clear of sick dogs. If you plan to
leave your dog at
a kennel, ask if there are plans in place to isolate any
dogs that become
sick, and what action the kennel would take should there be
an outbreak.
The virus can also be passed by respiratory secretions and
contaminated
objects. Clothing, equipment, surfaces and hands must be
cleaned and disinfected after exposure to any dog showing
signs of respiratory
illness – laundering is sufficient for
clothing.Manufacturers are trying to produce a vaccine
against canine influenza. If your dog is to be exposed to
other
potentially infected dogs, some arerecommending vaccinating
against
Bordatella bronchiseptica, parainfluenza and adenovirus type
2, both to
prevent secondary superinfection of dogs with canine
influenza with these
diseases, and to make it easier to rule out these diseases
as the cause
of infection in sick dogs. However,some dogs do develop
kennel cough
subsequent to vaccination.There is no rapid test for canine
influenza so care must be taken to prevent the spread of all
respiratory
diseases while test results are pending.Antibodies to the
virus do not
appear in the serum until 7 or more days after the onset of
clinical signs
(acute phase). Convalescent samples can be collected 2 weeks
later to
show that the infection is being cleared. Post-mortem
analysis of
fresh lung and tracheal tissue can prove the cause of the
pneumonia,
and Cornell is working on improving viral detection in
respiratory secretion
samples of live dogs.At this time, it does not seem that
canine influenza can be spread to other animals (even
horses) or humans.
However, viruses do mutate,and handling these dogs
carefully,
not eating in their presence, etc is recommended even when
there are
no other dogs present.
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A grateful thank you to Linda Aronson, DVM
for the use of this article. |
