Canine Flu Now Infecting Cats
The "new" version of the canine flu (H3N2) that began as a 2015 outbreak in the Chicago area is news again.
The latest surveillance data available through Cornell University show that positive results have been identified in dogs from 29 states. But even more interesting is the recent report from the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine that reveals that a group of cats housed in a Northwest Indiana shelter have tested positive for the H3N2 canine influenza virus.
According to Sandra Newbury, clinical assistant professor and director of the Shelter Medicine program at the University of Wisconsin:
"The suspicions of an outbreak in cats really rose when a group of them showed unusual signs of respiratory disease," says Newbury. "While this first confirmed report from multiple cats with positive results for canine influenza in the US shows that the virus can affect cats, we hope that the infections and diseases in the fines continue to be quite rare."
We already knew that feline infections were possible because South Korean cats were infected with this version of the virus when it was first identified, and a cat tested positive for the disease in the United States last year, but now the University of Wisconsin reports that "it appears that the virus can replicate and spread from cat to cat."
"Sequential sampling of these individual cats have shown repeated positive and an increase in viral loads over time" Kathy Toohey-Kurth, chief of virology section at the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory says. Eight cats tested positive in consecutive tests. More had similar clinical signs, but "They recovered quickly before the tests and were negative."
The dogs in the shelter had H3N2 from canine influenza in which feline infections were diagnosed, but the cats were housed in a separate part of the facility and the "cat areas were cleaned before cleaning the dog areas." This just goes to show how contagious this particular flu virus can be.
Symptoms in infected cats have been similar to those seen in dogs and include "nasal discharge, congestion and malaise, as well as licking lips and excessive salivation." Symptoms have been resolved quickly and so far the virus has not been fatal in cats. "
I find this development fascinating because it shows how things change in the flu field. Just a couple of months ago I was telling cat owners that they did not seem to have anything to worry about when it came to H3N2 canine flu. No doubt there is still no reason to panic, but if your cat does develop symptoms compatible with the flu, a trip to the vet is necessary, especially if the cat has been sheltering in an environment or near dogs infected with the flu.
We simply do not know if this outbreak in cats will turn out to be an isolated event or a harbinger of what is to come. Only time will tell.