[ SHOWGSD-L ] Canine flu in Texas

From: Stormy Hope <stormy435@xxxxxxxxx>
To: DaList List <showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 22 Sep 2011 22:04:03 -0700
Canine flu in Texas

http://www.wormsandgermsblog.com/2011/09/articles/animals/dogs/canine-flu-in-texas/index.html


Posted on September 22, 2011 by Scott Weese

An outbreak of canine influenza is occurring in San Antonio, Texas, as  
this virus continues its strange and unpredictable movement through  
the dog population. Dr. Michele Wright, a San Antonio veterinarian,  
reports 20 confirmed and 70 suspected cases over the past month. It's  
not clear whether those are all from her clinic nor is there any  
information about possible sources or the severity of disease. She  
also states that the virus has been identified in Austin and Dallas.

It's not particularly surprising that canine flu has been found in the  
state. It's now been identified in at least 38 US states, as well as  
one Canadian province. An outbreak is not particularly surprising  
either since when a new virus makes it into an area, it can easily  
cause widespread disease because it  encounters a population of  
animals that don't have antibodies against it.

What's strange about canine flu is how it has spread across North  
America. When was first identified Florida greyhounds in 2004, it  
seemed like it was going to spread widely across the dog population.  
It spread quickly at greyhound tracks and in clusters in Florida and  
in other states. However, it's subsequent spread across North America  
was quite patchy....causing localized outbreaks in different states  
but not hitting the entire continent quickly was suspected. Whether  
this relates to the amount and type of direct contact between dogs  
(dogs are only infectious for a short period of time and an infected  
dog has to meet a susceptible dog during that time to continue  
transmission of the virus, otherwise it dies out), specific aspects of  
the virus in dogs (e.g. how long it is shed) or lack of recognition of  
disease in some areas (e.g. mild disease that doesn't get diagnosed)  
is unclear.

We've been looking for canine flu in Ontario for a few years now, with  
no success. 
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[ SHOWGSD-L ] Canine flu in Texas

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