Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/15/h...s-wondering-if-fido-needs-a-vaccine.html?_r=0
Dog Owners Wondering if Fido Needs a Flu Shot
By JAN HOFFMANDEC. 12, 2015
Last spring, veterinarians in Chicago became overwhelmed by dogs with high fevers, hacking coughs, copiously dripping noses, runny eyes, lethargy and loss of appetite. Over nearly two months, at least 1,500 dogs fell ill, many for as long as three weeks. At least eight died from secondary infections like pneumonia...
...Eventually virologists identified it as a new strain of canine influenza. This one is a mutation of avian flu, H3N2, which had previously been documented only in Asia. Since the Chicago outbreak, scatterings of cases have been reported in 25 states, with more significant outbreaks in and around Atlanta and Cincinnati.
Now, a vaccine for canine influenza virus H3N2 has received conditional approval from the United States Department of Agriculture, which expedites licensing in emergency situations to avert epidemics. As the holiday travel season approaches, the question is: Should you get your dog vaccinated?...
Dog Owners Wondering if Fido Needs a Flu Shot
By JAN HOFFMANDEC. 12, 2015
Last spring, veterinarians in Chicago became overwhelmed by dogs with high fevers, hacking coughs, copiously dripping noses, runny eyes, lethargy and loss of appetite. Over nearly two months, at least 1,500 dogs fell ill, many for as long as three weeks. At least eight died from secondary infections like pneumonia...
...Eventually virologists identified it as a new strain of canine influenza. This one is a mutation of avian flu, H3N2, which had previously been documented only in Asia. Since the Chicago outbreak, scatterings of cases have been reported in 25 states, with more significant outbreaks in and around Atlanta and Cincinnati.
Now, a vaccine for canine influenza virus H3N2 has received conditional approval from the United States Department of Agriculture, which expedites licensing in emergency situations to avert epidemics. As the holiday travel season approaches, the question is: Should you get your dog vaccinated?...