Canine influenza, or CIV for short, is an emerging pathogen that produces an acute respiratory infection in dogs. Originally, the hosts of the influenza virus were equine and avian animals who then passed the virus onto canines (Wang et al. 1). It is highly contagious and has two main causative strains. The H3N2 strain comes from avian animals, and the H3N8 strain comes from equine animals. The H3N2 strain of CIV first appeared in a limited capacity in 2007 in Asia until 2015, when it made its first appearance in the United States. Since its first appearance in Chicago, the H3N2 strain has spread to thousands of dogs in the United States. The canine influenza strain, H3N8, first materialized in equine animals almost 40 years ago, but
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Canines should never share bowls and leashes without disinfecting the objects first. Excellent, regular human hygiene, such as hand washing, can also help to prevent the spread of CIV. Dog owners who believe their pet may be ill should avoid bringing them to facilities with other dogs. It is extremely crucial to isolate infected dogs for at least 21 days or more. Currently, there are two vaccines that help prevent the H3N8 strain of canine influenza virus and one vaccine that helps prevent the H3N2 strain. These vaccines contain a whole deactivated virus. The vaccines are meant to control the disease. While the vaccines cannot always prevent the CIV infection completely, they can significantly reduce the time and severity of the illness. They also help to prevent the spread of CIV from canine to canine. The vaccines are considered a lifestyle vaccine. This means that they are not recommended in every single dog. The vaccines are recommended to dogs with a higher risk of contracting the virus, such as dogs in kennels or boarding facilities (“Canine …show more content…
It also kills the epithelial cells that line the respiratory tract. The killing of the epithelial cells allows for secondary bacterial infections to occur. The majority of canines, who develop CIV, show the clinical signs of the virus. However, about 20% of infected dogs show no symptoms of the disease. The virus itself causes an acute respiratory infection. The mild form of the virus causes a cough that usually persists for 10 to 21 days, regardless of any treatments. The cough can be dry or moist sounding. Another symptom of canine influenza virus is nasal or ocular discharge. Other symptoms can include anorexia, lethargy, and sneezing. Some dogs can even develop fevers and pussy nasal discharge. In severe cases, dogs can have a high-grade fever and increased respiratory rate and effort (“Canine Influenza”).
Symptoms, alone, cannot be used to diagnose canine influenza because there are many diseases that have similar symptoms. CIV can be diagnosed through nasal and pharyngeal swabs during the first four days of the illness. However, it is important to remember that these tests can give a false negative if the virus isn’t in the incubation period. The most reliable way to diagnose CIV is serologic blood testing. The antibodies of the virus are in the dog’s blood starting at day seven after the onset of symptoms (“Canine
Canines should never share bowls and leashes without disinfecting the objects first. Excellent, regular human hygiene, such as hand washing, can also help to prevent the spread of CIV. Dog owners who believe their pet may be ill should avoid bringing them to facilities with other dogs. It is extremely crucial to isolate infected dogs for at least 21 days or more. Currently, there are two vaccines that help prevent the H3N8 strain of canine influenza virus and one vaccine that helps prevent the H3N2 strain. These vaccines contain a whole deactivated virus. The vaccines are meant to control the disease. While the vaccines cannot always prevent the CIV infection completely, they can significantly reduce the time and severity of the illness. They also help to prevent the spread of CIV from canine to canine. The vaccines are considered a lifestyle vaccine. This means that they are not recommended in every single dog. The vaccines are recommended to dogs with a higher risk of contracting the virus, such as dogs in kennels or boarding facilities (“Canine …show more content…
It also kills the epithelial cells that line the respiratory tract. The killing of the epithelial cells allows for secondary bacterial infections to occur. The majority of canines, who develop CIV, show the clinical signs of the virus. However, about 20% of infected dogs show no symptoms of the disease. The virus itself causes an acute respiratory infection. The mild form of the virus causes a cough that usually persists for 10 to 21 days, regardless of any treatments. The cough can be dry or moist sounding. Another symptom of canine influenza virus is nasal or ocular discharge. Other symptoms can include anorexia, lethargy, and sneezing. Some dogs can even develop fevers and pussy nasal discharge. In severe cases, dogs can have a high-grade fever and increased respiratory rate and effort (“Canine Influenza”).
Symptoms, alone, cannot be used to diagnose canine influenza because there are many diseases that have similar symptoms. CIV can be diagnosed through nasal and pharyngeal swabs during the first four days of the illness. However, it is important to remember that these tests can give a false negative if the virus isn’t in the incubation period. The most reliable way to diagnose CIV is serologic blood testing. The antibodies of the virus are in the dog’s blood starting at day seven after the onset of symptoms (“Canine