Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How horses with flu can spread it to dogs by close contact
By Yamanaka, Takashi et al.·Published in Veterinary microbiology·2009·Equine Research Institute, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Interspecies transmission of equine influenza virus (H3N8) to dogs by close contact with experimentally infected horses.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Three healthy dogs were kept in close contact with horses infected with equine influenza virus (EIV) for 15 days to see if they could catch the virus. All the dogs showed signs of exposure to the virus, but none developed any symptoms like coughing or sneezing. This suggests that while dogs can contract EIV from infected horses, they may not show any signs of illness. However, it's still a good idea to keep dogs away from sick horses during outbreaks to prevent any potential spread of the virus.
People also search for: dog respiratory illness from horse · equine influenza virus symptoms in dogs · can dogs catch flu from horses
Abstract
In horse populations, influenza A virus subtype H3N8 (equine influenza virus, EIV) is a very important pathogen that leads to acute respiratory disease. Recently, EIV has emerged in dogs, and has become widespread among the canine population in the United States. The interspecies transmission route had thus far remained unclear. Here, we tested whether the interspecies transmission of EIV to dogs could occur as a result of close contact with experimentally EIV-infected horses. Three pairs consisting of an EIV-infected horse and a healthy dog were kept together in individual stalls for 15 consecutive days. A subsequent hemagglutination inhibition test revealed that all three dogs exhibited seroconversion. Moreover, two of the three dogs exhibited virus shedding. However, the dogs exhibited no clinical signs throughout the course of the study. These data suggest that the interspecies transmission of EIV to dogs could occur as a result of close contact with EIV-infected horses without clinical symptoms. Although the interspecies transmission of EIV is unlikely to become an immediate threat to canine hygiene, close contact between EIV-infected horses and dogs should be avoided during an EI epidemic.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19596528/