Canine
Influenza Virus (CIV) has been a cause of canine cough in the US since
2003. The original strain of the virus
was first seen in racing Greyhound kennels and rapidly spread throughout the
country and is now endemic to many states including Colorado, Florida,
Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.
The original strain of CIV is s subtype of an Influenza A virus,
identified by it’s protein receptors as H3N8.
It causes a dry hacking cough, similar but more serious than that
associated with Bordetella, the bacteria that causes Kennel Cough. It is easily spread through direct contact,
nasal aerosols (think coughing and sneezing), and fomites (objects and clothing
that has been sneezed or coughed on).
Since it was a new virus on the block, all dogs were susceptible to
infection, there was no immunity. A
vaccine was quickly developed and we were able to control infection in our pet
populations.
The game
changed again in 2015 with the appearance of a new strain of the virus, H3N2
CIV. Unlike human influenza viruses,
this was not simply an annual mutation of the virus but an entirely new
strain. The H3N8 is still around. Originally appearing in the Midwest, H3N2 has
since started to spread. We monitored
the spread of the outbreaks (somewhat more severe than the original CIV infections)
and since there was no spike in cases in our area, we did not change our
vaccine protocols. However, an outbreak of H3N2 CIV has been identified just
last week in Brooklyn and so now we are trying to get the word out to dog
owners so that they can protect their pets.
While flu
season in people is winding down, dog flu season is just getting started. That’s because the risk factors increase as
the weather gets warmer. We see
increased exposure for dogs that go to boarding, day care, dog runs, grooming, social
groups, or now, go into Brooklyn and they need to be protected against this virus.
What does
this mean for your dog? If your pet has
any of the above risk factors, we recommend vaccination against both strains of
CIV. An initial series of 2 vaccinations
is followed by annual boosters. If you
are anticiapating a high risk situation (boarding for example) the series
should be completed at least 2 weeks prior to potential exposure. If your dog has had the H3N8 vaccine, it just
needs the new vaccine. If it has not had
a flu vaccine in the past, it will need to be vaccinated against both strains,
which can be done at the same time.
We will be
setting up some clinic times for flu shots so that we can keep the cost down
for owners. Patients of ours that have
been seen in the past 6 months and have no health issues can just receive the
flu shots without and examination or office call fee. If your dog is not a patient of ours, we will
perform a courtesy examination during clinic hours to make sure that it is
healthy enough to vaccinate before we administer the vaccines.
Details for
vaccination clinics will be posted on our facebook page so keep an eye
out. We will also be reaching out to our
clients via text or e mail to let you know when the clinic hours will be
available.
