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by hexe on 05 September 2012 - 18:09
Forwarned is forearmed:
INFLUENZA, CANINE - USA (02): (PA)
************************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases <http://www.isid.org>
Date: 30 Aug 2012
Source: Upper Dublin Patch [edited]
<http://upperdublin.patch.com/articles/canine-flu-making-local-inroads>
Canine Flu Making Local Inroads
The highly contagious infection jumped from horses to dogs in 2005.
An outbreak of canine influenza that has been described as nearing "pandemic" status in sections of southern and central Pennsylvania may have started to appear in Montgomery and Chester Counties, an area veterinarian said.
Dr. Jennifer Fry of Banfield Pet Hospital in Pottstown said she treated a suspected case of the disease about 2 weeks ago.
"We are definitely seeing cases of it," Fry said. "I had a 6-week old puppy that just lay on the exam table, which is not normal. It's similar to our flu. You just don't feel well at all."
The canine influenza virus, which is also known among epidemiologists as H3N8, had been observed in horses for decades but in 2005 was identified as having jumped to dogs, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
WPMT in York and WGAL in Lancaster reported last week that the veterinarians in the Susquehanna Valley region have seen a recent spike in the number of canine influenza cases coming into their offices.
The highly contagious disease, which manifests in dogs as a cough, runny nose, and fever, is "mild" in about 80 percent of dogs that are infected, according to the CDC. WGAL, citing unspecified officials, reported that about 6 percent of infected dogs die from the disease.
Socially active dogs are at higher risk.
The disease can spread between dogs via aerosol transmission such as sneezes and through contact with infected surfaces.
Fry said the dogs most at risk are those that frequently socialize with other dogs or regularly visit facilities that care for dogs, such as boarding kennels or pet grooming salons.
"It's airborne, and can also be transmitted through objects that are not properly sanitized," Fry said. "If you're going to be going to playgroups or dog parks, it's a wise idea to get the vaccinations."
The disease can easily be mistaken for "kennel cough," a much less serious upper respiratory condition that can affect groups of dogs kept in close quarters.
The disease is not believed to be communicable to humans, but there is always a danger that the virus could mutate into a strain that can infect people, according to the CDC.
"Influenza viruses are constantly changing and it is possible for a virus to change so that it could infect humans and spread easily between humans. Such a virus could represent a pandemic influenza threat," the CDC said in a canine influenza fact sheet on its website.
Cats potentially at risk
Fry discounted the likelihood of transmission to humans but said cats living in the same household as an infected dog could conceivably be at risk. There is no canine influenza vaccine available for cats.
Not all infected dogs would show symptoms of canine influenza. Fry said about 20 percent of infected dogs could show no symptoms but instead be carriers of the virus, capable of infecting other dogs.
Confirming infection is difficult because there's no rapid test for the virus, Fry said. Blood tests and other lab work could be required to be certain that a dog's illness is due to canine influenza.
Some boarding kennels and pet day care facilities are now requiring immunization against the virus, Fry said.
A canine influenza vaccination for a dog requires 2 injections, 2 to 4 weeks apart, with annual boosters thereafter. The vaccine costs between $25 and $45 in the Philadelphia region. Fry said that dogs not previously seen by a veterinarian would need to undergo a physical exam before the vaccine could be administered. As with human flu, very young dogs and elderly dogs are most at risk from the disease.
"Vaccines are for healthy pets," Fry said. "A sick pet would not be vaccinated," but would instead receive a course of treatment.
[By David Powell]
--
Communicated by:
Promed Mail from Health map alerts
[The "canine influenza virus" is an influenza A H3N8 influenza virus (not a human influenza virus) that was originally an equine (horse) influenza virus. This virus has spread to dogs and can now spread between dogs.
The number of dogs infected with this disease that die is very small.
Some dogs have asymptomatic infections (no symptoms), while some have severe infections. Severe illness is characterized by the onset of pneumonia. Although this is a relatively new cause of disease in dogs and nearly all dogs are susceptible to infection, about 80 percent of dogs will have a mild form of disease.
In order for this disease to reach "pandemic" status, it would have to involve more than a few counties. By definition, a pandemic involves a communicable disease that is spread over a large region. When discussing human disease it is generally thought to encompass large masses of land, such as several countries and even continents. So, a few counties likely do not reach the status of "pandemic".
Treatment largely consists of supportive care. This helps the dog mount an immune response. In the milder form of the disease, this care may include medication to make your dog more comfortable and fluids to ensure that your dog remains well-hydrated. Broad spectrum antibiotics may be prescribed by your veterinarian if a secondary bacterial infection is suspected.
If you take your pet to a dog park, a boarding kennel, or play dates, then it is advisable to ask your veterinarian about the approved vaccine for your canine pet.
To date, there is no evidence of transmission of canine influenza virus from dogs to people and there has not been a single reported case of human infection with the canine influenza virus. While this virus infects dogs and spreads between dogs, there is no evidence that this virus infects humans.
However, human infections with new influenza viruses (against which the human population has little immunity) would be concerning if they occurred. Influenza viruses are constantly changing and it is possible for a virus to change so that it could infect humans and spread easily between humans. Such a virus could represent a pandemic influenza threat. For this reason, CDC and its partners are monitoring the H3N8 influenza virus (as well as other animal influenza viruses) along with instances of possible human exposure to these viruses very closely. In general, however, canine influenza viruses are considered to pose a low threat to humans. As mentioned earlier, while these viruses are well established in horse and dog populations, there is no evidence of infection among humans with this virus.
Portions of this comment were extracted from:
<http://www.cdc.gov/flu/canine/>.
Pennsylvania may be found on the interactive healthmap at:
<http://healthmap.org/r/2o_t> - Mod.TG]
INFLUENZA, CANINE - USA (02): (PA)
************************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases <http://www.isid.org>
Date: 30 Aug 2012
Source: Upper Dublin Patch [edited]
<http://upperdublin.patch.com/articles/canine-flu-making-local-inroads>
Canine Flu Making Local Inroads
The highly contagious infection jumped from horses to dogs in 2005.
An outbreak of canine influenza that has been described as nearing "pandemic" status in sections of southern and central Pennsylvania may have started to appear in Montgomery and Chester Counties, an area veterinarian said.
Dr. Jennifer Fry of Banfield Pet Hospital in Pottstown said she treated a suspected case of the disease about 2 weeks ago.
"We are definitely seeing cases of it," Fry said. "I had a 6-week old puppy that just lay on the exam table, which is not normal. It's similar to our flu. You just don't feel well at all."
The canine influenza virus, which is also known among epidemiologists as H3N8, had been observed in horses for decades but in 2005 was identified as having jumped to dogs, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
WPMT in York and WGAL in Lancaster reported last week that the veterinarians in the Susquehanna Valley region have seen a recent spike in the number of canine influenza cases coming into their offices.
The highly contagious disease, which manifests in dogs as a cough, runny nose, and fever, is "mild" in about 80 percent of dogs that are infected, according to the CDC. WGAL, citing unspecified officials, reported that about 6 percent of infected dogs die from the disease.
Socially active dogs are at higher risk.
The disease can spread between dogs via aerosol transmission such as sneezes and through contact with infected surfaces.
Fry said the dogs most at risk are those that frequently socialize with other dogs or regularly visit facilities that care for dogs, such as boarding kennels or pet grooming salons.
"It's airborne, and can also be transmitted through objects that are not properly sanitized," Fry said. "If you're going to be going to playgroups or dog parks, it's a wise idea to get the vaccinations."
The disease can easily be mistaken for "kennel cough," a much less serious upper respiratory condition that can affect groups of dogs kept in close quarters.
The disease is not believed to be communicable to humans, but there is always a danger that the virus could mutate into a strain that can infect people, according to the CDC.
"Influenza viruses are constantly changing and it is possible for a virus to change so that it could infect humans and spread easily between humans. Such a virus could represent a pandemic influenza threat," the CDC said in a canine influenza fact sheet on its website.
Cats potentially at risk
Fry discounted the likelihood of transmission to humans but said cats living in the same household as an infected dog could conceivably be at risk. There is no canine influenza vaccine available for cats.
Not all infected dogs would show symptoms of canine influenza. Fry said about 20 percent of infected dogs could show no symptoms but instead be carriers of the virus, capable of infecting other dogs.
Confirming infection is difficult because there's no rapid test for the virus, Fry said. Blood tests and other lab work could be required to be certain that a dog's illness is due to canine influenza.
Some boarding kennels and pet day care facilities are now requiring immunization against the virus, Fry said.
A canine influenza vaccination for a dog requires 2 injections, 2 to 4 weeks apart, with annual boosters thereafter. The vaccine costs between $25 and $45 in the Philadelphia region. Fry said that dogs not previously seen by a veterinarian would need to undergo a physical exam before the vaccine could be administered. As with human flu, very young dogs and elderly dogs are most at risk from the disease.
"Vaccines are for healthy pets," Fry said. "A sick pet would not be vaccinated," but would instead receive a course of treatment.
[By David Powell]
--
Communicated by:
Promed Mail from Health map alerts
[The "canine influenza virus" is an influenza A H3N8 influenza virus (not a human influenza virus) that was originally an equine (horse) influenza virus. This virus has spread to dogs and can now spread between dogs.
The number of dogs infected with this disease that die is very small.
Some dogs have asymptomatic infections (no symptoms), while some have severe infections. Severe illness is characterized by the onset of pneumonia. Although this is a relatively new cause of disease in dogs and nearly all dogs are susceptible to infection, about 80 percent of dogs will have a mild form of disease.
In order for this disease to reach "pandemic" status, it would have to involve more than a few counties. By definition, a pandemic involves a communicable disease that is spread over a large region. When discussing human disease it is generally thought to encompass large masses of land, such as several countries and even continents. So, a few counties likely do not reach the status of "pandemic".
Treatment largely consists of supportive care. This helps the dog mount an immune response. In the milder form of the disease, this care may include medication to make your dog more comfortable and fluids to ensure that your dog remains well-hydrated. Broad spectrum antibiotics may be prescribed by your veterinarian if a secondary bacterial infection is suspected.
If you take your pet to a dog park, a boarding kennel, or play dates, then it is advisable to ask your veterinarian about the approved vaccine for your canine pet.
To date, there is no evidence of transmission of canine influenza virus from dogs to people and there has not been a single reported case of human infection with the canine influenza virus. While this virus infects dogs and spreads between dogs, there is no evidence that this virus infects humans.
However, human infections with new influenza viruses (against which the human population has little immunity) would be concerning if they occurred. Influenza viruses are constantly changing and it is possible for a virus to change so that it could infect humans and spread easily between humans. Such a virus could represent a pandemic influenza threat. For this reason, CDC and its partners are monitoring the H3N8 influenza virus (as well as other animal influenza viruses) along with instances of possible human exposure to these viruses very closely. In general, however, canine influenza viruses are considered to pose a low threat to humans. As mentioned earlier, while these viruses are well established in horse and dog populations, there is no evidence of infection among humans with this virus.
Portions of this comment were extracted from:
<http://www.cdc.gov/flu/canine/>.
Pennsylvania may be found on the interactive healthmap at:
<http://healthmap.org/r/2o_t> - Mod.TG]
by Krazy Bout K9s on 06 September 2012 - 05:09
Thanks Hexe,
I think I had some here, don't know for sure, but definitely NOT kennel cough, so could have been a FLU symptom here in MT....I just used Colloidal Silver, natural antibiotic, in the nostrils and in the mouth for 4 days and it went away...these were the mom and pups from New Mexico....
Hopefully, this is the end of it.
Thanks again, Steph
I think I had some here, don't know for sure, but definitely NOT kennel cough, so could have been a FLU symptom here in MT....I just used Colloidal Silver, natural antibiotic, in the nostrils and in the mouth for 4 days and it went away...these were the mom and pups from New Mexico....
Hopefully, this is the end of it.
Thanks again, Steph
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