A flu virus, called H3N8 is spreading across the USA and infecting many greyhound racing dogs. This flu virus is normally found in horses. It causes ‘kennel cough' like symptoms in dogs and spreads in the same way human influenza does.
You can read about this new dog flu virus in the journal Science.
According to scientists at the CDC, this virus does not affect humans. It has been present for over 40 years as an equine (horse) influenza virus.
Veterinarians say the dogs are fairly easy to treat with antiviral drugs.
The (canine) virus was first discovered in dogs when an outbreak of a mysterious respiratory infection emerged at a dog-racing track in Florida in 2004. Veterinary scientists from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York detected influenza infection. Further tests were carried out at the CDC laboratories where scientists identified a virus almost identical to an equine flu virus.
Symptoms
- Fever
- Cough (often mistaken for ‘kennel cough')
Kennel cough does not usually come with a fever
- Runny nose
- Pneumonia (an uncommon complication with untreated dogs)
Antibiotics and fluid reduce the number of deaths from pneumonia
Humans need not worry about catching this flu from a dog. This is a virus that affects dogs, not humans.
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