Canine Influenza - Treatment, Prognosis & Prevention

How is it treated?

As with any viral illness, treatment is primarily supportive, consisting of good nutrition and husbandry practices to assist dogs in mounting an effective immune response, coupled with appropriate antibiotic therapy to treat secondary bacterial infections. The more severe form of the disease is also treated with antibiotics, along with fluid therapy. The new flu appears susceptible to the 2 most common anti-viral drugs, but those drugs are not licensed for use in dogs and may have unexpected and undesirable side effects.

Is it fatal?

Fatal cases of pneumonia due to canine influenza have been reported, but the fatality rate has been low so far, estimated between 1 and 5 %. To put that in perspective, parvo, which affects primarily puppies, and distemper, which can affect any age dog, both have mortality rates that can run as high as 80%.

Is isolation necessary?

Yes. Because the virus is easily transmitted, and almost all dogs will be susceptible, any infected dog should be isolated from all other dogs, and very strict hygiene practices followed. In fact, any dog showing possible symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, or nasal discharge, regardless of cause, should be isolated from other dogs not only until the dog is fully recovered, but until the potential shedding period has elapsed. This is true of any contagious or infectious illness.

How to protect your dogs?

There are a number of things you can do to protect your dogs – most of which are simply good common sense. To start with, keep your dog in good overall health. Make sure your pet is following a vaccine schedule as recommended by a veterinarian. While there is no vaccine yet for canine influenza, there are vaccinations that decrease the likelihood and severity of other canine respiratory infections. If you board your pet, make sure that the kennel is clean and well maintained, and that they have a plan for isolating any dogs that develop signs of "kennel cough" or other disease in a separate area. Don't take your pet to dog parks or other places with lots of dogs if he or she has signs of kennel cough or other infectious disease, and immediately remove your pet from the locale of any other dog showing such symptoms. Make sure your pet has current ID tags with your address and phone number clearly displayed – this will ensure that he or she can be promptly returned to you in the event of an escape and will prevent or limit the exposure to kennel cough or other diseases in an animal shelter. If you work with or are around other dogs, practice good hygiene and infection control as described below. In addition, change clothes before handling your own pets, and do not allow animals to "kiss" or lick your face.

How can the virus be eliminated in the environment?

As an enveloped virus, it is believed to be killed by routine disinfectants, such as quaternary ammoniums and 10% bleach. All clothing, equipment, surfaces and hands should be cleaned and disinfected after exposure to dogs showing signs of respiratory disease to prevent transmission of infection to susceptible dogs. Clothing can be adequately cleaned by using detergent at normal laundry temperatures.

Are there any travel or activity advisories?

As long as good infection control practices are in place, you should not be overly concerned about taking dogs to training facilities, dog parks, kennels or other areas frequented by dogs. When bringing your dog to such places, ask whether respiratory disease has been a problem there, and whether the facility has a plan for isolating dogs that develop respiratory disease and for notifying owners if their dogs have been exposed to dogs with respiratory disease. Dr. Cindy Crawford, one of the principal investigators involved in discovering and researching canine influenza, answered a similar question thus: "I am taking my two Pekinese to be groomed next week… I will continue to board my pet greyhound at boarding kennels when I need to. I will continue to show dogs at the AKC sanctioned shows. So I, myself, will continue on with my routine activities with my own dogs. They will go to dog parks. They will participate in other community activities with other dogs." She further explains that dogs with or just recently recovered from respiratory illness should be kept at home until a couple of weeks have elapsed to allow that dog to fully recover and to prevent infection of dogs he might come in contact with.

Is there a vaccine?

Not yet, but work is underway and has been for a few months now.

Can a dog be re-infected?

Unknown at this point.

Can humans and other animals become infected or transmit it?

There have been no known cases of humans becoming infected with the H3N8 virus from horses or dogs. While the possibility cannot be excluded, there is no evidence at this time of transmission of canine influenza from dogs to people or other animals, and it is believed to be unlikely. However, while it appears people cannot become infected with the virus, they can serve as physical carriers, transmitting the virus from infected to susceptible dogs, so good hygiene and infection control practices as described above should be observed.

How serious is the disease?

While the disease is highly contagious with virtually no dogs having any immunity, and a few fatalities reported, canine influenza is generally mild and self-limiting, and is not widespread at this time. Other causes of canine respiratory illness are much more common, and can be mistaken for the canine flu, causing undue panic. As long as common sense is followed, dog owners should not be overly concerned.

Where is it present?

The virus has been documented at greyhound tracks in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Florida,Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

It has also been documented in pet dogs in California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington State and Washington, D.C.

These cases occurred in animal shelters, humane societies, rescue groups, pet stores, boarding kennels, and veterinary clinics.

There has only been 1 documented case in North Carolina, which occurred in a family of 5 dogs in Sanford, following apparent exposure while on vacation at the beach (which beach was not stated).

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Bibliography

"Control of Canine Influenza in Dogs – Questions, Answers and Interim Guidelines"
October 17, 2005
http://www.avma.org/public_health/influenza/ganine_guidelines.asp

"UC Davis Canine Influenza Update"
September 28, 2005
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August 16, 2005
http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/msmp/protocols/canine_influenza/civ.htm

"Influenza Virus Infection in Racing Greyhounds"
2005 ACVIM Conference Proceedings.
Cynda Crawford, DVM
http://www.evsrl.it/vet.journal/approfondimento.php?codnotizia=1500
Translation by Google

"A New Deadly, Contagious Dog Flu is Detected in 7 States"
New York Times
September 22, 2005
Donald G McNeil Jr and Carin Rubenstein
http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=
F10E14FC3C540C718EDDA00894DD404482

"Is the Doggie Flu Epidemic Overblown"
Roanoke Times, Virginia, USA

"Canine Influenza – Frequently Asked Questions"
October 2005 NC Public Health,
NC Dept of Agriculture Veterinary division,
NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine

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September 29, 2005
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http://www.diaglab.vet.cornell.edu/news.asp

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October 17, 2005

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September 26, 2005
http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/transcripts/t050926.htm

"Bronson alerts Public to Newly Emerging Canine Flu"
FL Depart of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Press Release September 20, 2005
http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/press/2005/09202005.html

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http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/nov05/051101a.asp

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"Dog Flu"
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September 26, 2005
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/09/26/tech/main885971.shtml

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Science Express
September 29, 2005
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http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/1117950

"An Update on Canine Influenza in Wisconsin"
Ronald D. Schultz, PhD and Christopher W. Olsen, DVM, PhD
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Yoon K-J, Cooper, VL, Schwartz KJ, Harmon KM, Kim W-II, Janke BH, et al.
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Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]
2005 Dec [date cited]. Available from
http://www.cdc.ncidod/EID/vol11no12/05-0810.htm

Personal correspondence:

Association of Shelter Veterinarians list serve
American Association of Housecall Veterinarians list serve
Berner-L list serve
From W. Jean Dodds