I'm Dr. Joshua Schwimmer, a nephrologist and internal medicine physician in New York City. • Kidney Notes was the first active nephrology blog. (Trivia: Kidney Notes is so old that the National Library of Medicine still uses it as an example of how to formally cite blogs.) • Professionally, you can find me at Kidney.nyc. • Kidney Notes is for educational purposes only, not medical advice. Consult qualified health care professionals. See disclaimer.

Sunday, October 23, 2005

"The Dog Flu" Is Canine Influenza

"Influenza Virus Infection in Racing Greyhounds" from Emerging Infectious Diseases (CDC):
The influenza virus in canine lungs was unexpected since no influenza virus infection in dogs had been reported...

In conclusion, recent outbreaks of hemorrhagic pneumonia and associated deaths in Iowa racing greyhounds were primarily due to infection by an H3N8 influenza virus genetically and antigenically similar to equine influenza viruses. This conclusion can be supported by a previous report of fatal hemorrhagic pneumonia by H3N8 virus infection in racing greyhounds in Florida. The fact that greyhounds in 2 different racetracks, which are in geographically remote sites in Iowa, simultaneously died of the disease without the involvement of sick horses suggests that the influenza virus isolate is likely a canine-adapted strain and able to perpetuate and spread among dogs...
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