Non-BDSM: "Deadly Dog Flu Spreads"

[Sir_Winston54]

For those with friends and partners of the canine persuasion, this:

Deadly Dog Flu Spreads
Jennifer Viegas, Discovery News
Aug. 18, 2009

Canine influenza, the potentially deadly H3N8 virus commonly known as dog flu, is spreading.

So far the virus has led to the death of one dog last week, closed down the kennel at Virginia's Fairfax County Animal Shelter, and, according to experts, is now affecting dogs in at least four other states: Colorado, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

While the reason for the shelter outbreak, which killed a 15-year-old whippet owned by a clinical technician and sickened 26 dogs, remains unknown, it's possible that one or more infected dogs from Philadelphia or D.C. introduced the illness to Virginia.

"Dogs often move in and out of shelter systems over long distances, such as via breed and rescue groups," Edward Dubovi, director of the virology center at Cornell's Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory, told Discovery News.

"Boarding kennels and even elite doggie day care centers can also result in cases, since, as for kennel cough spread, the virus is highly contagious and dogs may catch it from one another," added Dubovi.

He first isolated the canine influenza virus in 2004, after University of Florida researchers sent him fluid and tissue samples from greyhound race dogs that had died from a then mysterious respiratory illness at a Florida racetrack.

Dubovi and his team determined the cause was the H3N8 equine flu virus, which jumped from horses to dogs. In addition to spreading from dog to dog, canines can also catch it from humans, who may have come into contact with infected animals.

The illness has not yet sickened any people.

Much more at the Discovery.com story linked in the headline.

[Cattypuss]

Sigh. You could look at a 15-yr-old whippet funny and it would die.

The media do love a scare story, don't they?

[Sir_Winston54]

Originally Posted by Cattypuss

Sigh. You could look at a 15-yr-old whippet funny and it would die.

The media do love a scare story, don't they?

Yeahhhh... but the whippet wasn't what concerned me as much as "and sickened 26 dogs" and that it's as contagious as kennel cough, and spread the same way, except that it's also able to be spread to other dogs by humans who have come in contact with infected animals.

[Cattypuss]

Maybe I'm all "flu-scare"d out. Bird flu, swine flu, dog flu. A year or two ago there was a lot of parvovirus going round in England too, leading to lots of panic.

I dunno.

I adore my dog (who goes into boarding kennels for two days once a month when I have to go out of town on business) but I just tend to think too many people worry too much. If we keep ourselves and our pets fit, then really, we are more at risk of dying in a road traffic accident, aren't we?

[yourmissl]

Thank you very much for this post, Sir Winston. I was just about to take in another foster, which I really like doing, but I have 5 dogs, 4 cats, 2 bunnies and 2 horses that I certainly don't want getting and/or passing on these viruses. Dogs/cats do tend to travel the shelter circuit. I have a really large German Shepherd/Rotti mix that goes with me almost everywhere. She is such an awesome dog that most stores in town welcome her, and hotels, especially my favorite/regulars in NYC and Chicago love looking after her if I'm at meetings/signings/etc.

I would be heartbroken if anything happened to any of my pets, but especially her. (Well, also my QH, Ricky... the most gorgeous, spirited and sweet-hearted 17.2 hand gelding you have ever seen. He's a dream.)

Of course I love all of them... but the others all technically belong to my kids.

Thanks again,
linds.