It's Flu Season for People and Dogs

by Steve Dale

It's still cold and flu season -- for people as well as dogs. The good news is, dogs don't get the flu from people (though there has been one confirmed case of H1N1 in a dog), and people don't get the canine influenza virus. And just as people can get pretty sick, even die from the flu, so can dogs. Fortunately, a vaccine to fend off the canine influenza virus (CIV) was released last year.

If you haven't heard about dog flu, you're not alone. It's a relatively new virus, identified in 2004. Although CIV has now been identified in 30 states, there are parts of the country where few or no cases have been reported. Other locations have become dog flu "hot spots."

What's going on in New York is now being called an outbreak by some. Since the virus was first identified in Florida, many snowbirds returning to the Big Apple with their dogs likely brought dog flu home with them. While the disease has been floating around New York for a while, it was probably only a matter of time before it became a real problem.

Part of that problem is that because the virus is new, most dogs haven't been previously exposed to build resistance.

"Nearly 100 percent of exposed dogs get the bug, though 20 percent may never show symptoms," explains Dr. Cynda Crawford, clinical assistant professor, Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program, University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, who helped discover the virus. Making matters more challenging, that 20 percent still spreads the virus. CIV is most easily spread by coughing and sneezing, just as influenza is spread in people. Even workers at dog day care centers, shelters or veterinary offices can unintentionally pass the virus by touching a sick dog, then allowing a healthy dog to lick their hands.

"In New York City, dogs are so social there was bound to be a major problem," says Dr. Paul Schwartz, who practices in Manhattan. Since January 10, he's seen 60 suspected cases of canine flu in his practice alone, though most were never confirmed through testing. (To check for CIV, a nasal swab is taken, then a lab performs a PCR --polymerase chain reaction -- test.) Schwartz says he's nearly certain all the dogs first suspected of having CIV had one thing in common -- all were boarded at the same dog day care center.

In addition to sneezing, coughing and sometimes a lot of associated mucus, dogs with CIV tend to feel lousy, often run a fever and may be uninterested in food. Canine flu can worsen into pneumonia. In some dogs, CIV runs its course fairly quickly, other dogs do better with supportive medical care, and still others require aggressive treatment. So far, Schwartz hasn't experienced any fatalities in his practice.

Eric Bellows hasn't been so lucky. He operates Pack Ethic Rescue, a non-profit, based outside Albany, NY, which offers larger dogs a second chance. He sometimes pulls dogs scheduled for euthanasia from New York City Animal Care and Control (ACC). His sanctuary provides basic training and rehabbing for dogs with behavior issues. These dogs, once considered unadoptable, are then adopted. Unfortunately, a few dogs rescued from ACC arrived at Pack Ethic Rescue with canine flu, though Bellows didn't know it. His entire pack of 40 dogs was exposed; many became very ill and two died, including one of his personal dogs. The canine influenza virus was confirmed through testing at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Making matters worse, Bellows says ACC knew the dogs likely had CIV when they were transported. Shelter volunteers speaking off-the-record confirm that officials at the ACC shelter are aware of the problem. However, as one volunteer said, "What can they do? Due to the economy and a new law in New York that doesn't allow dogs over 40 pounds in subsidized housing, they're being slammed with dogs."

Dr. Stephanie Janeczko, director of medicine at New York's ACC, says she knows the canine influenza virus is in the shelter but it's indistinguishable from kennel cough unless each dog is tested, which isn't practical.

"Aside from affording the cost of the vaccine, it takes several days (for the vaccine) to work," Janeczko explains. "And we certainly don't have the space to quarantine all dogs coming into the facility."

Janeczko's ideal answer is to vaccinate all dogs in places like New York City, where CIV appears to be prevalent. This would eventually create what's called herd immunity -- in theory, enough animals would be vaccinated to lower the spread of the disease.

How prevalent is CIV really? The American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has one of the largest veterinary clinics in New York City, and medical director Dr. Louise Murray, an internal medicine specialist, says she's not yet identified CIV at her facility.

Schwartz, who says he's no fan of over-vaccination, is now vaccinating for canine flu, particularly for social dogs (likely most in New York City). He recently saw a dog with the canine flu from Brooklyn.

"If it's in one borough, it will be in all of them, and New York City dogs travel to other cities, of course. It's pathogenesity (contagious nature) and short incubation makes the vaccine a sensible choice," he said.

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