DOG FLU Cases Surge in Philadelphia and Elsewhere, Worrying Vets

An outbreak of dog flu has affected some of America’s best friends this winter.

Veterinarians across the United States, including Philadelphia, North Texas, California and Florida, are warning of a brutal canine flu season.

Dog flu can be serious in some cases, causing pneumonia and even death in pets. About one in ten cases result in death. It is spread from animal to animal by barking, sneezing, and coughing through airborne droplets.

Some kennels and dog boarders have temporarily closed or significantly increased cleaning protocols in response, and veterinarians are advising pet owners to get vaccinated against canine flu.

Humans are generally believed to be safe from infection, and cases of canine flu in humans have never been reported. However, there is always the possibility of an animal virus spreading to humans, and experts say society is sadly not ready for it.

The United States is also one of the countries most at risk of a zoonotic outbreak with pandemic potential because it is one of the world’s largest importers of live animals, according to researchers at Harvard University and New York University (file photo).

Zoonotic diseases pose a particular risk to humans with viruses that can infect other mammals such as pigs, because their cells have receptors very similar to those of humans.

Indiana, Ohio, New York and several other states have also reported cases this winter.

lost dogs in texas a twitter account for missing pets, advised Thursday: ‘We don’t normally release medical information, but dog flu is on the rise in Texas. If you take your dog to dog parks or mix with other dogs, ask your vet about getting a flu shot.

‘A vet is trying to keep track of all cases of dog flu.’

There are limited treatment options after a dog is infected, but there is a preventative vaccine that they can get from their vet.

But vaccine supplies are tight, with many clinics reporting shortages and long waiting lists due to ongoing supply chain issues related to the pandemic and fallout from closures.

Valley Animal Center in Fresno, California, said 6ABC that shortages, stemming from supply chain difficulties, have been supported at times for up to three months.

The current waiting list at the hospital is approximately 100 people.

Hospital employee Rubén Cantú said: ‘I don’t want to say frustrating, but it can be when we have to tell our clients, you know, unfortunately, I don’t have this vaccine for you. Because they do it for the love and safety of their pet and I think that’s the most important thing in this conversation.

The symptoms are often similar to those of kennel cough, a highly contagious bacterial lung infection that is fortunately rarely dangerous. Virus infection can cause cough, runny nose, fever, lethargy, eye discharge, and reduced appetite.

But because the flu is a virus, it’s harder to treat than a bacterial infection, which can be cured with antibiotics.

Canine influenza can be easily spread through droplets expelled when your dog coughs, sneezes, or barks.

The virus can also remain on surfaces your dog has been in contact with.

Stephen Cole, a veterinarian and microbiologist at the University of Pennsylvania, said: “Canine influenza is considerably more infectious and transmissible than the typical bacterial viruses we see that cause upper respiratory tract infections in dogs.” That’s why it’s more worrisome.

Dr. Cole added that mixing with other dogs in parks, where they often share a communal water bowl, is a common way to spread the virus.

Some symptoms resemble a human flu virus, and it is also diagnosed in the same way.

Vets will take a swab from a dog’s nose within the first few days of showing symptoms and then perform a lab-based PCR test.

Also, like influenza strains that attack humans, symptoms appear two to three days after infection.

Dogs are also most infectious three to four days after the initial infection.

Different strains circulating in the US require different lengths of quarantine due to differences in how long dogs can spread the virus.

The first currently circulating in the US is H3N2, and infected dogs should be quarantined for about three weeks, while seven days are recommended for dogs with H3N8.

About 20 percent of infected dogs have no symptoms, making detection difficult.

But in very severe cases, dogs can develop life-threatening pneumonia.

Dog influenza is highly unlikely to endanger humans, even if outbreaks persist.

Still, Dr Cole said: “We can’t say ‘no’ for sure, but it has never been reported before and is considered very, very low risk.”