FYI to you all...
http://1010wins.com/topstories/local...300071711.html
Dog Flu Strikes 21 Canines In New Jersey
Oct 27, 2005 3:10 pm US/Eastern
(1010 WINS) (TRENTON) Twenty-one dogs in New Jersey have tested positive for canine influenza virus since the state began screening for the virus at the end of September.
The New Jersey Department of Agriculture Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory announced its latest findings Wednesday, saying the affected animals demonstrated labored breathing, nasal discharge and a persistent cough.
There has been no evidence showing humans can catch the dog flu, according to the state.
Epidemiological investigations showed that three of the dogs that tested positive for canine influenza might have contracted the disease in kennels and shelters in New York.
The origin of the remaining cases is still undetermined.
The dogs that tested positive came from Bergen, Monmouth, Ocean and Somerset counties.
There is presently no vaccine for the virus. All dogs are susceptible to it, but less than 5 percent of infected animals die from the disease, according to the state.
Researchers recently found that the virus surprisingly crossed over from horses to dogs, striking racing greyhounds at tracks in 11 states. Now the influenza has been found in pets around the nation, with cases reported in California, Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia.
Confusingly for pet owners and veterinarians, some of the symptoms mimic a common, less dangerous bacterial infection known as ``kennel cough.''
Dog owners are advised to keep their animals home if they appear ill and to keep their pets away from dogs that appear ill.
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