Newark dog tests positive for H3N2 canine influenza

NEWARK – Veterinarian Jodi Houser is asking pet owners to be vigilant after a dog she was treating tested positive for the H3N2 canine influenza virus.

Katie, a West Highland Terrier, came to Newark Veterinary Hospital last Friday after her owners noticed she had a persistent cough. After examining her, Houser diagnosed Katie with kennel cough. She had the typical signs and it's a common illness.

But when Katie wasn't getting better after taking antibiotics and cough suppressant — in fact her cough had become worse — Houser became concerned that something else was going on.

She took a culture sample and sent it to IDEXX Laboratories in Worthington, who revealed Katie tested positive for H3N2.

"I was pretty shocked by it," Houser said. "It's highly contagious, and there's a high percentage of dogs that can be infected but not show clinical signs. I think that caution and vigilance are the most important things right now. This is not a new disease but it's a new strain which means there's no natural immunity to this at all."

RELATED: What dog owners need to know about H3N2 canine flu

The H3N2 canine influenza virus is an avian flu virus that adapted to infect dogs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It was first detected in dogs in South Korea in 2007, and has since been reported in China and Thailand.

The virus was first reported in the U.S. in April, when more than 1,000 dogs became infected in the Chicago area and other parts of the Midwest. It is unclear how the virus made its way to the U.S., the CDC states.

H3N2 is not a reportable disease, but Houser decided to call the Ohio Veterinary Medical Association and the Ohio Department of Agriculture to make them aware of the the case.

Reportable diseases are ones that the Ohio Revised Code requires veterinarians to report if a dog in their care tests positive because they are considered a dangerously contagious and infectious disease, said Erica Hawkins, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

Typically, that means the disease has the potential to infect humans or has a high mortality rate, such as tuberculosis or illnesses with neurological symptoms.

"This disease doesn't have a high mortality rate but it does seem to spread pretty quickly when you are co-mingling dogs together," Hawkins said. "The big thing that I think we want to tell folks is to make sure they keep an eye on their dogs and if they look like they could be sick to get them in to see a veterinarian as soon as possible, because the sooner they can seek treatment the less likely they are to have any complications."

The Ohio Department of Agriculture is attempted to locate a source for the illness, but Hawkins said she isn't sure how much it will be able to find out. Katie, the dog who is infected, came from a woman who had bought the dog from a breeder in Millersburg.

Staff are checking out both homes to see if any other dogs at those locations are sick, but if they don't find any there's not much else they can do, Hawkins said.

In the meantime, both Hawkins and Houser are asking pet owners to keep an eye out for symptoms. Symptoms of H3N2 include a soft, moist cough that persists for 10 to 30 days, lethargy, reduced appetite, sneezing and discharge from the eyes and/or nose and fever, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.

If a dog is presenting any of these symptoms, take it to a veterinarian to get checked out.

For more information on H3N2 canine influenza, visit www.cdc.gov/flu/canine.

emaddern@newarkadvocate.com

740-328-8513

Twitter: @emmaddern

Symptoms of H3N2

Symptoms for the H3N2 canine virus include:

•A soft, moist cough that persists for 10 to 30 days

•Lethargy

•Reduced appetite

•Sneezing and discharge from the eyes and/or nose

•Fever

Dogs exhibiting these symptoms should see a veterinarian. For more information, visit www.cdc.gov/flu/canine.