[ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: DEADLY VIRUS DATED 12/13
- From: Jen Proud <proudk9@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: carolyn mckenna <carolynmckenna@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 23 Feb 2014 14:02:04 -0600
Here ya go Carolyn (and others)- copied from the link that I was able to open
it.
Sorry for the delay- very long day volunteering for the home tournament the
wrestling club put on yesterday. Happily, we raised over twice the money we
expected to get (but we had almost EVERYTHING donated from around the
community)- we netted over $2800!!! Yay the kids get new singlets & equipment
now since 100% of what we make stays in their program. :) and, Larson finished
2nd and we were proud of him though he was off his game watching a kid in the
ring before him break his arm falling so he was mad he didn't finish first-
like a tourney record of 3 first places and 2 second places of 5 tries is bad!
(Very proud of my little softie can y'all tell!?!)
This is another appearance of what was striking in Ohio last summer & fall. It
is moving its way around the country now...
Anyhow onto the article:
--------------- from NBC 12---
A new virus is striking dogs in the middle of the country, and if not treated,
it has the potential to kill an infected animal in just days. There's no
vaccine. In other animals, it's been highly infectious, and scientists still
can't say with certainty how it's transmitted. What is certain is this disease
could be deadly, especially in kennel settings. Even though cases have been
limited to just three states so far - California, Michigan, and Ohio â some
Richmond Vets fear it's just a matter of time until it makes its way here.
Dr. Olivia Pan is keeping up with all of the latest information for when it
does, because early study results are frightening.
"They're suspecting the dogs can bleed into their cavities, their chest into
their abdomen, and those are some of the more serious ones that would bleed to
their deaths," said Dr. Pan.
It's called circovirus. Vets have been aware of it for years but mainly in pig
populations - it can decimate a hog farm in just a week. Certain pet birds also
seem susceptible, especially parrots, parakeets and cockatoos. What's new is,
the virus has never made the jump to dogs - until now.
At The Pet Spot, a kennel in a suburb of Cincinnati, three dogs died and a
fourth became ill in just three days, all suffering from symptoms "consistent"
with circovirus. Tests weeks later at the University of California on blood and
tissue samples of these dogs and others suspected with the virus from Michigan
weren't conclusive that circovirus was responsible for the deaths, since the
infected dogs also had other health issues. One vet told me, "it (circovirus)
was likely a contributing factor".
For the owner at the Pet Spot in Ohio, the deaths of 3 dogs in one week has
been hard both personally and professionally.
"We consider this the loss of three of our family members," said Jeff Voelpel.
"We'll always continue to ensure that we do things the right way, and make sure
we've taken every step to ensure a clean, safe environment."
One of the main problems with circovirus is there's no easy way to diagnosis
it. Since it can kill so quickly, sending blood samples off to a lab for
testing just isn't practical.
"There's no way of us knowing it's the circovirus or not until you do all of
these tests, and by then - you don't get the results back for weeks," said Dr.
Pan.
Doctors do know that dogs who are frequently boarded or spend time in "play
situations" with large groups of other dogs would be at greatest risk. The bad
news is, there's no vaccine to prevent it - no known cure - and to make matters
worse, it's still not clear how the virus is spread.
That fact is especially frightening for kennel or doggie daycare operators
responsible for a large number of dogs.
"Definitely, we do have a fear that all of these dogs are going to get sick at
the same time," said Dr. Pan.
Since the disease was only first detected in dogs in 2012, the symptoms aren't
set in stone.
Here's what we know: many of the infected dogs had severe inflammation in their
intestinal tract, and exhibited varying degrees of lethargy, vomiting, and
diarrhea. If your dog exhibits those symptoms, visit the vet immediately, but
it's believed that some dogs can be carriers and not symptomatic.
------------
Just my most humble of observations about circovirus making the jump from hogs
to dogs... Well- the agriculture industry (unintentionally) has encouraged the
strengthening and/or mutation of many bacterium & viruses. How you ask? All
meat animal (well even farmed fish too) industries in the US (excepting those
who follow the extremely strict organic rules to be certified as such- next to
impossible to be truly organic unfortunately) use antibiotics prophylacticly as
a part of their general husbandry practices. That the benefit of a larger
carcass happens as a side-effect(?? Is it that the animal is always medicated
so it never gets so ill and stays thrifty or that somehow growth rate is
increased I don't know??), of course, the practice became standard since the
cost of antibiotics is more than offset by the carcass weight. (This is often a
one or two percent difference; but to think in a 1000# steer, that's 10# more
per steer even say at $1/pound, $10 an animal and when you raise even just 1000
a year that's $10K in one's pocket for the same number of heads WOW).
So- we all know about MRSA in people; they say it was caused directly by ppl
not finishing their antibiotics and those bacteria who survived were stronger,
more resistant. Does that mean those bacteria mutated to survive the
antibiotics for that time? Possibly, probably I do think. Now apply that to
this circovirus: it isn't a far reach for me to imagine that the working farm
dog on that hog farm where the species leap first happened to think there were
mutations going on induced by long-term antibiotic therapy (I'm well sure
epigenetics is in play when mutations happen but that's another tangent ;)--
though the mode of transmission is yet unknown, it is obvious that close
proximity is required. (Again, MHO is that it is a delicate virus but as it is
known to be in mucous membranes, obviously coughing sneezing licking biting are
all transmission vectors, and surely how the virus was first transmitted to
dogs. Hogs are mean!
Enjoying a restful Sunday and the dogs are loving to play outside on a sunny 20
degree day! (Though only +3F with the wind chill) Too bad the average says
it's supposed to be 35 during the daytime... Oh well spring might finally
come in august?
Jen P & the Happy Pack
JayDee's Proud-Haus Shepherds/Proud K911
www.jaydeesphs.com
Committed to the Total Dog you can be Proud of!!!
AKC Breeder of Merit
> On Feb 22, 2014, at 10:12, carolyn mckenna <carolynmckenna@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> Please tell us about this virus because when we click on the link,
> we are told "access denied ".
>
> C
>
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