Canine Flu Epidemic in Chicago

[Kris and Sawyer]

A bit scary. Just wanted to pass along. And, Happy Easter!

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/chicagos-canine-flu-outbreak-almost-an-...

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Very scary. More than 1000 dogs affected, 5 dead. :(

[Marie and Hoka]

I've been calling our local vet in Wheeling and the Vet Specialty in Buffalo Grove; as of this morning they both say our area in NW burbs not yet hit. Our daycare denies any cases as well. I did have to take Hoka to daycare today, so I'm hoping all goes well.
I know there are lots of cases in the city. Anyone hear of any suburban cases yet?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I was at Jack's vet office in Lincolnshire this afternoon, and they had signs on the front doors saying that if your dog is showing any symptoms of flu, return to your car and call them, they would come out and treat the dogs in the car. They have had 5 or 6 cases, all mild, all treated with meds and not requiring hospitalization. They are not permitting any affected dogs inside the building.

So I find it very strange that the Specialty Center is claiming that they haven't seen any cases. They are one mile from my vet, and they have a 24 hr emergency facility. Jack is at that clinic at least every other week, so that makes me very nervous, with that many dogs in and out of there every day. 

[Marie and Hoka]

That is weird, because I called Wheeling Vet and the Vet Specialty, the receptionists both said they were not having any cases. We shall see.  Really bad timing that Hoka needed to be at day care a couple of days.  We are done now, hopefully all will be well. I watched them on video separating the dogs into kennels for "snack" at lunch time and cleaning the play area, and the place always smells of bleach.  I try to keep them healthy. The dog that we share vacation watching with is a bit at risk, as he had some strong immunosuppressive therapy in the past and can't be full vaccinated generally. Hoka and Moxie will be with them this weekend.  Baths for all beforehand.

[Ron Carnes]

The test for verificatioon is expensive and not performed on many canines. If I remember correctly, the test is generally permormed by  one of the vaccine manufacturers, to confirm an outbreak.The dearth rate is about 7% but the vast majority will have permanent lung lesions. For full disclosure my son is a director for Merck Companion Animal Health Care

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Here's an email I just received from my vet:

The Doctors and Staff at Lincolnshire Animal Hospital want to assure all of our clients that we continue to work diligently to protect all of your dogs from canine influenza outbreak in the Chicagoland area.  We have taken many precautions to keep patients with respiratory symptoms separate from our waiting room, treatment areas, and exam rooms which include examining those patients outside of the hospital with staff using protective gowns and gloves.  Our kennel staff interact only with our boarding dogs and cats, not with our hospital patients to further reduce the risk of infection.  To further protect our clients we are now requiring all dogs that will be boarding or coming to the hospital for grooming be vaccinated with the canine influenza vaccine. 

The vaccine requires two boosters to be given three weeks apart.  We currently have the vaccine in our clinic.  Since the two vaccines do need to be separated by three weeks we are not taking any grooming appointments until May 1^st.  Lincolnshire Animal Hospital asks that any patients that plan to board or schedule a bath with us to call and set up a time to start the vaccine series as soon as possible. 

The Canine Influenza virus is a highly contagious virus and we hope that you understand that our new policies are established with your dog’s wellbeing in mind.  Please contact the hospital if you have any further questions or concerns.

 

Sincerely,

The Doctors and Staff of Lincolnshire Animal Hospital

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

UPDATE;NEW INFORMATION ON CHICAGO DOG FLU

Just got this email from my vet:

Over the past few weeks there have been over 1,000 dogs in the Chicagoland area that have been affected by canine influenza.   The current outbreak has been attributed to the influenza strain H3N8, which was initially discovered in 2004. New information has come to light regarding the current outbreak.  Researchers at Cornell University and the University of Wisconsin have found two viral submissions that were positive for H3N2.   This strain is predominately seen in dog populations in South Korea and southern China.  They are concerned that it has been recently introduced into the Chicagoland area. The clinical signs of both strains are similar, including high fever, loss of appetite, coughing, nasal discharge, and lethargy.  There is no evidence that either strain can be transmitted to humans. 

 

 The current vaccine available is for the H3N8 strain.  At this time it is unsure if it will provide cross protection to new strains of influenza. The doctors and staff at Lincolnshire Animal Hospital continue to recommend vaccination for at risk dogs (dogs who board at kennels, attend doggy day care, visit dog parks regularly, etc.).  It is still recommended to avoid social areas including dog parks, grooming salons, boarding, and daycare until the current outbreak subsides.  We will continue to keep you informed of new information as it becomes available.  Please call the hospital with any questions.