Dangerous strain of dog flu spreads concern across US

A risky new dog flu strain is starting to spread some concern in the Western United States.

The Seattle Times reports (http://bit.ly/1l4aE7e ) that officials say a suspected outbreak at a Kent kennel that hit dozens of dogs appears to be contained.

More information on canine influenza in pet dogs can be found in this article: Influenza A Virus (H3N8) in Dogs with Respiratory Disease, Florida in Emerging Infectious Diseases journal, the AVMA website, and this update on the April 2015 Chicago H3N2 canine influenza outbreak. It has now spread widely, likely infecting thousands of dogs across the nation, a spokesman for the American Veterinary Medical Association said.

King County public health officials say up to 90 dogs staying at a kennel outside of Seattle may have been exposed to the virus. However, just over two years ago, Colorado and NY were the two states considered to be hot beds for “dog flu”.

“Here, people are pretty responsible about not bringing a sick dog”, Gordon said.

Be proactive – Use the “Flag as Inappropriate” link at the upper right corner of each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Two have tested positive for flu, but further tests are needed to confirm it’s the new strain.

Last year, dog flu sickened 2,000 in 24 states, including Maryland. These include: trouble breathing, coughing, loss of appetite, and being lethargic.

A vaccine was made available in November.

So far the newest strain of the flu hasn’t reached Maryland.

“It’s definitely a gamble at a dog park because there are no requirements for vaccines”.

Nearly all dogs are susceptible to canine flu infection, and illness tends to spread among dogs housed in kennels and shelters.

He said the mortality rate is low, but dogs can die if they go untreated.

Veterinary medicine first realized dog flu existed back in 2004.

“Typically, an owner is going to see coughing first”, Dr. Smith said.

Many families who are traveling during Thanksgiving or Christmas keep their dogs at boarding facilities while they are away.