Bird Flu-Infected Dog Suggests Human Risk From Pets (Update3)

[AlaskaDenise]

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...PNI&refer=asia

By Jason Gale
Nov. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Bird flu killed a dog in Thailand after infecting its lungs, liver and kidneys, highlighting the potential for pets to contract the lethal virus and spread it to humans, researchers in the country said.

......remainder of article at noted site.

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[Niko]

Re: Bird Flu-Infected Dog Suggests Human Risk From Pets (Update3)

See this thread also: http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=28287






<!-- header_starts_here //-->Emerging Infectious Diseases

<!-- header_ends_here //-->
<!-- content_starts_here //--><!-- InstanceBeginEditable name="Article Content" --> Ahead of Print

<!--Vol. 13, No. 7&ndash;July 2007 | Vol. 13, No. 8&ndash;August 2007
-->Volume 13, Number 8–August 2007

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/upcoming.htm


Avian Influenza (H5N1) Susceptibility and Receptors in Dogs
R. Maas et al.

Suggested citation for this article: Maas R, Tacken M, Ruuls L, Koch G, van Rooij E, Stockhofe-Zurwieden N. Avian influenza (H5N1) susceptibility and receptors in dogs.

Emerg Infect Dis. 2007 Aug; [Epub ahead of print]
Avian Influenza (H5N1) Susceptibility
and Receptors in Dogs

Riks Maas,* Mirriam Tacken,* Lisette Ruuls,* Guus Koch,* Eugene van Rooij,*and Norbert Stockhofe-Zurwieden*
*Wageningen University and Research Centre, Lelystad, the Netherlands

Inoculation of influenza (H5N1) into beagles resulted in virus excretion and rapid seroconversion with no disease. Binding studies that used labeled influenza (H5N1) showed virus attachment to higher and lower respiratory tract tissues. Thus, dogs that are subclinically infected with influenza (H5N1) may contribute to virus spread.
Avian influenza (H5N1) virus has been shown to be infectious not only for birds but also for humans and mammals such as mice, ferrets, and cats. Carnivorous mammals that are susceptible to subtype H5N1 may contribute to spread of the virus; shedding of influenza (H5N1) by pet carnivores may pose a risk to humans. Cats experimentally inoculated with influenza (H5N1) have been shown to be susceptible to infection and to shed virus (1).

However, dogs’ susceptibility to this virus is unknown. Unpublished studies indicate that a substantial number of dogs tested in Thailand were positive for antibodies against H5N1 subtype (2).

Recently, isolation of influenza (H5N1) virus from a dog in Thailand has been reported (3). We describe the susceptibility of specific pathogen–free (SPF) beagles to avian influenza (H5N1) and the presence of receptors for influenza (H5N1) in the respiratory tract of these dogs.

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