Steve Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 http://www.gazette.net/article/20130827/NEWS/130829268/1070/dog-flu-spotted-in-montgomery&template=gazette Dog flu spotted in Montgomery Virus can’t spread to humans By Ryan Marshall Staff Writer A strain of “highly contagious” canine influenza has emerged in Montgomery County, although the virus isn’t believed to be capable of spreading to humans. The virus has been identified in six dogs in the county since mid-August, two of which have died, according to an Aug. 22 bulletin released from the state Department of Agriculture to veterinarians and health and government officials. The disease comes in two varieties — a mild form with a cough and a more severe form that can cause potentially deadly respiratory disease, according to the bulletin, which calls it “highly contagious.” The cough in the more mild variety can last from 10 to 21 days despite treatment by antibiotics, while the more severe form has responded best to treatment by a combination of antibiotics and intravenous fluid therapy to keep the dog hydrated. One of the problems of recognizing canine influenza is that the early symptoms of coughing and sneezing can be caused by any of about a dozen illnesses, said Mike Berbert, a veterinarian at Gaithersburg Animal Hospital. But it also can develop into pneumonia, characterized by symptoms such as fever, weakness, lethargy and loss of appetite, he said. According to the Centers for Disease Control, some dogs can have virtually no symptoms from canine influenza while others’ reactions can be severe, but the number of dogs that die generally is very small. The state bulletin said previous outbreaks have seen a fatality rate of 1 to 5 percent of dogs who get the disease. “It is too early in the reporting of this disease event to provide good epidemiological data,” according to the bulletin. “As more information on this current virus strain is gathered and evaluated, additional information will be provided.” The virus can be spread by sneezing or coughing of other dogs, contact with objects that have been contaminated or by people who deal with both sick and healthy dogs. There have been no reported cases of the disease spreading from dogs to humans, according to the CDC. While they wouldn’t want anyone whose dog sneezes to bring their dog to the vet, owners should be alert, especially if their dog has been around areas with other dogs such as dog parks, grooming parlors or kennels, Berbert said. Montgomery County will keep the five dog parks it maintains open, but has posted signs in the park letting dog owners know the symptoms of the dog flu, said Melissa Chotiner, a spokeswoman for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. Dog owners also may want to temporarily avoid places where large numbers of dogs gather, b.j. Altschul, a spokeswoman for the Montgomery County Humane Society, said in an email Tuesday. They should make sure that any boarding facility is extremely clean and has a way to isolate any dog that begins showing symptoms, she said. Berbert said he wasn’t aware of any previous cases in Montgomery County, although because the symptoms look so much like those of other illnesses, the virus may have been seen without anyone knowing it. The flu’s uniqueness means many dogs haven’t built up an immunity to it, he said. “This is a pretty new organism,” he said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 Great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 I saw this on a Whippet form I go on. On there the link mentioned it may have mutated from Equine flu but I don't know how true that it. Very scary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lasareina Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 Hope it doesn't make it to Australia ... Its bad enough worrying about Hendra with our horses Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minimax Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 Is this in the US or Australia? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lasareina Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 USA I believe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minimax Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 USA I believe Oh, that's good (in a way). I was a the vet with my pug the other day who is having chesty wheezey issues, and the vet said although Max just has hayfever, they are having another round of kennel cough type symptoms this season - the second strain in a few months and the symtoms are slightly different to the strain they saw a few months ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 YEp in the US, I will get some more info in a little while I have to go and pick my dog up from the vet so can't do it at the moment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgrubber Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 (edited) I think the article was an exaggeration. If it were 'highly contageous' it's a miracle that there haven't been a lot of further reports. There is a canine influenza virus that has appeared a few times in the US that seems to have come from an equine virus. First appeared in 2004 in racing greyhounds. It has been studied and does not appear to be very contagious at all. Here's a link to a highly technical paper. http://downloads.hindawi.com/journals/vmi/aip/874521.pdf Edited August 30, 2013 by sandgrubber Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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