The highly contagious canine influenza virus H3N2 currently causing outbreaks across the U.S. is of an avian origin compared to the first strain of canine influenza, H3N8, was an equine influenza. More than 2,600 dogs have come down with the flu this year, which Edward Dubovi, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, says is a gross underestimate.
“I guarantee the number is 10 times higher than that,” says Dubovi. “The problem is we have no regulations on the transportation of dogs. There’s no quarantine to see what infectious diseases they could be carrying when rescue groups bring these dogs in.”
Source: Popular Science, June 7, 2018. Link.
Because canine influenza is so underreported—many dogs don’t exhibit symptoms, leaving owners blissfully unaware their pet is surreptitiously spreading Asian bird flu — it’s difficult to determine a fatality rate for H3N2. The good news? Vets like Yasmin Mortsakis say it’s unlikely the virus itself will kill. The bad news? H3N2 can make dogs more susceptible to other serious respiratory infections like pneumonia, which can lead to hospitalization or death.
Also see: Dog flu gets worrisome, VIN NEWS, June 11, 2018. Link.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now considers H3N2 to be endemic in the U.S.
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