Canine Influenza

[Guest guest]

Thought this was very important to pass along...

~Kim

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September 27, 2005

 

Scientist Recommends Isolation for Animals Showing Signs of Canine

Flu

 

By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr.

 

With a new, highly contagious canine flu spreading, dogs that are

coughing should be kept at home for up to two weeks, a scientist who

first described the illness said yesterday.

 

The scientist, Dr. Cynda Crawford, an immunologist at the University

of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine and an author of a report

on the canine influenza being released today by the journal Science,

spoke at a news conference sponsored by the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention.

 

The C.D.C., which is tracking the disease, issued no official

recommendations. But Dr. Crawford urged pet owners to continue to

walk healthy dogs, visit dog runs, use boarding kennels and

otherwise let animals congregate.

 

But, Dr. Crawford added, owners should " use common sense, " including

isolating dogs with any symptoms of respiratory disease for up to

two weeks and alerting a veterinarian's office before taking in a

sick dog for treatment.

 

Dr. Crawford, who was joined at the news conference by scientists at

the C.D.C. and the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine

who are studying the virus, said the flu seemed to kill 5 to 8

percent of the dogs it infected.

 

But she emphasized that scientists did not " have all the answers " on

fatality rates because the influenza strain was new and because it

was hard to get accurate information about dog deaths.

 

Last week, Dr. Crawford estimated the fatality rate at 1 to 10

percent.

 

In the first outbreak she studied, at a greyhound track last year in

Jacksonville, Fla., the flu killed about a third of the dogs with

symptoms. But she said basing estimates on a single outbreak left " a

false impression. "

 

The flu initially mimics " kennel cough, " a common disease usually

caused by Bordetella bronchiseptica, a bacterium related to the one

that causes whooping cough in children. About 80 percent of infected

dogs develop a cough, nasal discharge and possibly a fever; a

smaller number go on to develop pneumonia.

 

The 20 percent of dogs with no symptoms are presumed to be

contagious, Dr. Crawford said.

 

Dr. Ruben Donis, chief of molecular genetics for the influenza

branch of the disease control agency, said the flu had jumped from

horses to dogs, " a very rare event of considerable scientific

interest. "

 

But, Dr. Donis said, " at this point, there is no reason to panic. "

 

Although there has been speculation that the influenza could now

jump to humans because dogs live more intimately with them than

horses do, the H3N8 strain has been found in horses for over 40

years without ever causing a documented human case, he said.

 

A vaccine for the canine flu is under development, he said; a

vaccine for the equine version already exists.

 

It is unclear how widespread the disease is in pets around the

country. The first outbreaks in kennels not connected to greyhound

tracks were found in April, and cases among pets have been confirmed

only in Florida, New York and Massachusetts.

 

Dr. Edward J. Dubovi, chief virologist in Cornell's diagnostic

laboratory in Ithaca, said he was testing samples from veterinarians

in many states.