An article dated
4/12/15 out of Cornell University by Joe Swartz, stated the Influenza outbreak
in Chicago may be caused by a new strain of Influenza. The new strain (H3N2)
is from Asia, and is currently in wide circulations in Southern China and
Korean dog populations.
The outbreak was
originally attributed to the H3N8 strain which was first
identified in the US dog population in 2004 at Greyhound race Tracks and some
boarding kennels.
Currently testing
is being done at the National Veterinary Service Laboratories in Ames, IA, to
see if they can determine if two different strains exist in the Chicago
outbreak. The New H3N2 (Asia) strain has also shown to
cause infection and respiratory illness in cats.
The fact that a lot of the dogs tested
positive to the old influenza dog virus testing and some did not leaves them to
suspect that two strains may currently be in Chicago.
I have personally
talked to the spokeswoman at Cornell University and she said they should know
in about two weeks whether the current vaccine we have will protect against
both strains. The bad news is that if the canine influenza vaccine does not
protect against the new strain, it would likely take several months to develop
a new vaccine. Therefore the overall
preventative advice is to avoid bringing your dog to places where dogs
congregate such as dog parks, beaches, etc. until we know more. We will
forward new information as it becomes available.
Summary
As it stands, we
do not currently know whether the vaccine we currently have will protect
against the current influenza virus that is going through Chicago,
unfortunately it is the best we have until we know more.
The
recommendations to avoid dog parks and areas where dogs congregate continue to
be the best practice. We also continue to advise having your dog vaccinated for
the strain we know about since it has not been confirmed if both strains are in
the Chicago area. As always we want what
is best for your pets and will continue to keep you updated as we know more.
Thank you,
-Dr. Rex Bailey and Dr. Lauren
Fairchild
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