Seattle & King County’s Zoonotic Disease program has received reports of dogs in King County who may be infected with canine influenza virus H3N2. Two dogs associated with a respiratory illness outbreak in a King County boarding and dog daycare facility had laboratory results indicating H3N2 positive infection through PCR testing. These two dogs did not actually spend time in the facility but had contact with one dog that did. Public Health’s Zoonotic Disease program is collecting more information and awaiting laboratory results of two other dogs that were part of the outbreak.
Consider H3N2 as a diagnosis: Please be aware of the potential of canine influenza virus H3N2 and consider it as a diagnosis in a dog presenting with respiratory signs of cough, runny nose and/or fever. Consider this diagnosis particularly if the dog has been boarded recently or has recently participated in dog-related group activities or has been exposed to other dogs known to have canine influenza or kennel cough.
Isolation of suspected cases: Dogs that present with respiratory signs should be brought directly into a separate examination/triage area that is reserved for dogs with respiratory signs. Do not allow them to enter the waiting room or other areas where susceptible dogs may be present. Isolation protocols should be rigorously applied for dogs showing any clinical signs of respiratory disease, including wearing disposable gloves when handling infected dogs or cleaning contaminated cages. There is no way to distinguish canine influenza from respiratory disease caused by other infections based on clinical signs alone.
Advice to dog owners: Dog owners whose dogs are coughing or showing other signs of respiratory disease should not expose their dog to other dogs, and should contact their veterinarian. Early veterinary evaluation is crucial to identifying and stopping potential outbreaks. Canine influenza is a disease of dogs; no human infections with canine influenza have ever been reported. The Public Health Insider (Seattle & King County) put out a blog post this morning that you can share with your clients: http://publichealthinsider.com/2016/01/12/dog-owners-beware-canine-influenza-may-be-on-the-rise-in-king-county/
Background on canine influenza H3N2: Canine influenza virus H3N2 is a type of avian flu virus that adapted to infect dogs and was previously only found in Asia (particularly Korea, China and Thailand). H3N2 was first detected in the US in April 2015 after an outbreak began in Chicago, causing greater than 1,000 cases. As of November 2015, doginfluenza.com shows that canine influenza virus H3N2 infections have been reported in 25 states, not including Washington. Canine influenza virus H3N2 is highly contagious and all dogs, regardless of breed or age, are at risk of infection when first exposed. Good infection control practices are the best way to prevent the spread of respiratory diseases, including canine influenza.
For more information regarding canine influenza:
https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/Reference/Pages/Canine-Influenza-Backgrounder.aspx
http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/DiseaseInfo/disease.php?name=canine-influenza&lang=en