I didn’t even know there was such a thing as dog flu!
Fairfax County authorities on Friday publicly confirmed at least six cases of the H3N8 virus, or canine influenza, in dogs, one of them fatal — the first identified cases in the state.
The Fairfax County Animal Shelter shut down its kennel last week, quarantining about 26 dogs with suspected symptoms, said shelter director Karen Diviney. New dogs brought to the shelter are being held in a separate area.
Humans cannot contract the virus, commonly referred to as "dog flu," but dogs can easily catch it from each other, especially in close quarters, and it can be spread to dogs from humans who have come into contact with infected animals, officials said.
Owners are being encouraged to follow the same precautions as with strains of human influenza: Wash your hands, and do not panic.
Symptoms include sneezing, lethargy, loss of appetite, coughing and wheezing, said Wanda Pool, a veterinarian at Deepwood Veterinary Clinic in Centreville. If a dog is showing these symptoms, owners are urged to contact their veterinarians for testing and possible vaccination.
1st Dog Flu Cases in Va. Close Fairfax Kennel – washingtonpost.com
Oh my goodness! Where in the world does something like this start from? When the avian flu was an issue, inspectors would randomly drop by homes in my area to check out chickens. The problem was that if the chicken even appeared remotely unwell (which they do sometimes for a day or two), they’d be snapped up and exterminated…just in case. Not pretty.
.-= Keli´s last blog ..Stupidity in All the Wrong Places =-.