WHAT’S UP?
In March 2015, veterinarians in the Chicago area began to notice an increase in the number of dogs presenting for respiratory disease. The major signs were coughing, discharge from eyes and nose and poor energy. Some of the dogs presented with pneumonia. Because so many of these dogs came with a history of spending time with groups of other dogs (kennels, doggie day care, grooming, dog parks, etc.), the Chicago-area veterinarians suspected that these cases were infectious in nature.

WHERE DID IT COME FROM?
Chicago veterinarians attending to these ill dogs submitted samples taken from the nose and throat to laboratories to help identify the organism causing the disease. Most samples were sent to the Cornell University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. Since March 16, 2105, over 250 samples were submitted and of these, 138 tested positive for Canine Influenza. At first it was presumed that the Canine Influenza strain was the standard H3N8. However after further testing, the strain was actually identified as H3N2. This is the first time that H3N2 has been detected in North America.

WHAT IS H3N8?
Canine Influenza H3N8 causes respiratory infection in dogs. These dogs generally develop mild illness that they recover from in 2-3 weeks. Rarely more severe disease can take hold, like pneumonia. In such rare cases, these dogs must be hospitalized for treatment.

WHAT IS H3N2?
The outbreak in Chicago suggests a recent introduction of the H3N2 virus from Asia. An outbreak of avian-origin H3N2 influenza in pet dogs occurred in South Korea in 2007. Avian-origin H3N2 influenza virus was also isolated from clinically ill dogs in southern China in 2006 and 2007. H3N2 has been shown to cause infection and respiratory illness in cats in Asia. In the US, however, there have not been any reports of cats becoming ill from the virus. There have been no cases of H3N2 reported in Los Angeles County thus far.

THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT EITHER H3N8 OR H3N2 ARE TRANSMISSIBLE TO HUMANS.

WILL THE H3N8 VACCINE PROTECT AGAINST H3N2?
There is a vaccination for H3N8 which has been proven to provide protection against H3N8. While vaccines may provide a certain amount of cross-protection against different strains of the same virus, it is not known if the current H3N8 vaccine will provide any protection from this new virus. DTLAvets is following this epidemic closely and will be watching carefully for results coming out of the Cornell University lab to determine if H3N8 vaccination is appropriate for H3N2 protection.

STOP THE SPREAD!
Take your pet to your veterinarian if (s)he is acting sick. Do not take your pet to public areas if (s)he is acting sick. Soap and water is very effective at inactivating the virus. Wash your hands after handling pets, which will help avoid spreading disease among pets. Always consult your veterinarian with any concerns regarding your pet’s health.

Until more information is available, DTLAvets recommends that dog owners proceed with caution in kennels, doggie day care, grooming and dog parks.