Re: OH: Unidentified virus killing dogs
Shared from a Bernese Mountain Dog group I belong to.
Article below from this link:
http://fortstclairkennelclub.com/2013/09/05/virus/
Okay, folks ****IMPORTANT UPDATE REGARDING THE OHIO VIRUS**** I spoke to Dr.
Forshey, the state veterinarian for Ohio, this morning (Friday, September
6), at length. He said that it is TOO soon to state definitively that the
problem is a circovirus. The tissue tested did test positively for
circovirus, and it is likely that it is circovirus, but they do not know if
that is what?s making the dogs so sick. They are still awaiting test results
on several other dogs. THEY DO KNOW THAT THE MEANS OF CONTAGION IS THROUGH
FECES. They do not yet have a handle on the period of incubation. Dogs
cannot ?catch? this virus from pigs, He said the best thing that dog-owners
can do is to behave as people do in a flu epidemic. Dog parks, especially,
should be avoided. As for dog shows, he says that it is up to individuals to
determine their own comfort level regarding risk. Clearly, do not allow your
dogs to be near the poop of other dogs. It will be incumbent on dog day care
providers and boarding kennels to keep their premises very clean. Probably
this virus is NOT confined to Ohio. We may just be the first state to
recognize that this is it?s own problem. He said they expect to have more
information, but it may be a couple of weeks, these tests take time. Please
remember, if your dog has any of these symptoms?vomiting, bloody diarrhea,
foaming at the mouth; get them to a vet immediately. Do not try to ride this
out, don?t try to treat it at home.
Please note, as of this evening, September 5, the virus has been positively
identified (by the veterinary lab at University of California at Davis) as
one of the circoviruses. Transmission may have something to do with pigeons.
Or not. There is still very little information. But we are including this,
in case it is helpful to anyone trying to rule out or confirm a diagnosis.
The symptoms mimic many other things: parvo, giardia, salmonella,
coronavirus. The State Veterinarian for Ohio, Tony Forshey, has indicated
that samples from multiple cases have been tested for these well-known
illnesses, but have all come back negative. Tissue samples with the virus
have been sent to the veterinary labs at the University of California at
Davis, and test results are expected back on Monday, September 9, at which
point the Ohio Department of Agriculture is expected to make a formal
statement about the virus.
A statement issued August 16th by Dr. Forshey?s office indicated only that
they were dealing with an unknown virus, and that testing was continuing.
Since then there have been only informal updates, including one through Jill
Brown, DVM of the Village Animal Clinic in Columbus Ohio, who issued the
following statement:
VERY IMPORTANT HEALTH ALERT FOR DOG OWNERS.
I talked to Dr Forshey, the state veterinarian, and he confirmed that they
are working on identifying the cause of death in several dogs. They suspect
that it is a virus, possible Circo virus. This virus has not been found in
dogs before (it?s found commonly in pigs). They have sent tissue samples to
UC Davis, which is the only lab that can identify the virus. Ohio State has
already ruled out common causes like salmonella, parvovirus, campylobacter,
hemorrhagic gastroenteritis (HGE).
He thinks they will have it figured out by Monday and will have a national
news release. Ohio is the only state seeing it so far (figures!).
The important thing is that dog owners need to get their dog to the vet ASAP
at the first sign of vomiting and bloody diarrhea. Dr Forshey indicated that
most of the dogs are surviving if treated early. There is, of course, no
vaccine available.
Please share this information to your own Facebook feed so we can reach as
many dog owners as possible.
We spoke to Dr. Forshey?s office today, Thursday, September 5 and they
confirmed that they are still awaiting test results from California. They
have, understandably, been inundated with calls.
There are no websites about this virus, no studies, and certainly no vaccine
yet. Whether or not the vaccine for one of the porcine circovirus will be
employed is only speculative at this point. We are at the tip of the iceberg
with this one, and every one is understandably concerned. The biggest
question is how is this virus transmitted, and simply put, no one knows the
answer yet. Although it is said to have only been found in Ohio so far, the
chance of that statement being accurate is probably nil. As we learn more
about this, I think we will find that it is far more widespread and that we
may have been dealing with it longer than we think.
As to how contagious it might be, this is yet to be determined. Three dogs
died at a Dog Day Care in Norwood? but other dogs in the same facility did
not even get sick.
The good news is that dogs who are treated promptly have been making good
recoveries, though the treatment is sometimes intense and arduous. Since no
one knows quite what they are dealing with, care has come in the form of
treating the symptoms and keeping the dog well supported throughout. Please!
If you have any concerns about this, contact your veterinarian.
Be alert to your own dog?s health. If there is vomiting, bloody diarrhea,
foaming at the mouth? in any combination? not all symptoms may be present,
get them to a veterinarian as soon as possible.
As to whether or not to attend shows, take your dog to dog parks, or to day
care or boarding kennels? only you can make this decision. If you will be
leaving your dog somewhere, alert the caregivers to this situation. Keep
your dog?s immune system hale and hearty. If you have specific questions,
the best person to answer those is your vet.
Feel free to share this post. We only want to educate folks to be on the
lookout for this. As we get updates, we will post them here and on Fort St.
Clair?s Facebook Page. If you are a veterinarian and you need further
assistance with this, the number for the State Veterinarian?s office is
(614) 728-6220.
The reference to pigeons came out of left field to me. I'd love to know the origin of that speculation. Virologists think that this is a mammalian virus most closely associated to pig circovirus, but obviously not exactly the same so that must be why the state vet says pigs are not currently spreading the virus to dogs.
