Canine Influenza is a new virus that scientists, veterinarians, and dog lovers across the country are on the lookout for. The virus was first confirmed between April to May 2005 according to Dr. Cynda Crawford, an immunologist from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. The only states that have had confirmed cases are New York, Florida and possibly Massachusetts. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (C.D.C.) believes that the virus originated from a virus that affects horses, Equine Influenza. The virus has altered slightly, now affecting dogs. There is no evidence that this virus can affect people.
The signs consist of coughing, nasal discharge, and possibly a low-grade fever. Most dogs will only suffer a mild form of the disease and recover in time with appropriate veterinary care. In a small number of cases, the influenza virus may progress to pneumonia and possibly death. Luckily, at this point, the influenza virus does have a low mortality rate. There are estimations that this virus could be fatal in anywhere from 1-10% of affected dogs.
The best way to prevent this disease is to use common sense. Since it is highly contagious, don’t let your dogs play with any dogs that you know are sick. If your dog has been sick with a respiratory illness, keep your pet away from other dogs for at least 2 weeks. If you plan on boarding your pet, make sure you are going to a reputable kennel. It should be clean, and require all of the pets to be healthy and current on vaccinations (especially the Kennel Cough vaccine which contains bordetella bronchiseptica and/or parainfluenza). Currently, there is no vaccination available that is specific for Canine Influenza.
Researchers are learning more about Canine Influenza on a daily basis. I recommend that you monitor the C.D.C. website (www.cdc.gov/page.do) for any future updates.
