Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Outbreak of deadly kennel cough from herpesvirus in hospitalized dogs
By Kawakami, Kazuo et al.·Published in Journal of clinical microbiology·2010·Advanced Technology Development Center, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Nosocomial outbreak of serious canine infectious tracheobronchitis (kennel cough) caused by canine herpesvirus infection.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of older dogs at an animal medical center developed serious respiratory issues, known as kennel cough, and some sadly passed away. The cause was identified as canine herpesvirus (CHV), which is usually not a major threat to adult dogs but can be dangerous in certain situations, especially when dogs are already weakened by medications. The outbreak highlighted how quickly this virus can spread among dogs in close quarters, particularly those with compromised immune systems. The center took measures to control the outbreak and prevent future cases.
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Abstract
Canine herpesvirus (CHV; Canid herpesvirus 1) is principally a perinatal pathogen of pregnant bitches and newborn pups and secondarily a respiratory tract pathogen of older pups and dogs. Infectious disease of the canine respiratory tract frequently occurs among dogs in groups, in which it is called " infectious tracheobronchitis" (ITB). Mortality from ITB is generally negligible, and the clinical importance of CHV as an ITB pathogen is considered to be low. The present report describes a novel ITB outbreak accompanied by death among aged dogs in an animal medical center. Most inpatient dogs had received medications that could induce immunosuppression. CHV was the only pathogen identified, and several CHV isolates were recovered in cell culture. No other viral pathogens or significant bacterial pathogens were found. Molecular and serological analyses revealed that the causative CHV isolates were from a single source but that none was a peculiar strain when the strains were compared with previous CHV strains. The virus had presumably spread among the dogs predisposed to infection in the center. The present results serve as a warning to canine clinics that, under the specific set of circumstances described, such serious CHV outbreaks may be expected wherever canine ITB occurs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20107103/