11/22/2023
Current information about virus that was reported on the news.
Here is a canine respiratory disease update from the IL State Veterinary Medical Association (ISVMA) (photo is just to get your attention 😊):
“Mystery Canine Respiratory Disease Update
The ISVMA has fielded a number of calls from members and veterinarians regarding the mounting reports of canine respiratory disease being identified in Illinois, according to the Today Show. The ISVMA's Board of Directors are monitoring the issue. At this time, the ISVMA has communicated with veterinarians from across Illinois as well as government and educational institutions with all conversations resulting in no confirmed cases of the atypical canine respiratory disease in Illinois as of this writing.
The ISVMA advises doing the following:
Watching for the three general clinical syndromes reported as associated with the respiratory illness from other states.
Encouraging clients to vaccinate their dog for all respiratory diseases.
Proactively communicate your professional advice to all clients.
If you have an identified case of canine respiratory disease, please let ISVMA know by emailing us at: [email protected].
Details of Activity in Other States
There is detailed information coming from the states of Oregon and Colorado. In addition, illness has been reported, either officially or anecdotally, in California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Washington.
The AVMA has been in contact with state officials in Oregon, who say they have received more than 200 case reports from veterinarians in that state since mid-August. Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) officials are working with state and national diagnostic laboratories to identify the causative pathogen, asking veterinarians to report cases to the department as soon as possible, and advising dog owners to work with a veterinarian if their pet is ill. The Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biological Sciences says, "The possible virus, which is under intense observation by Colorado State University veterinarians, has been linked to cases of severe pneumonia and, tragically, resulted in some fatalities."
The ODA says cases reported to them appear to primarily fall within three general clinical syndromes:
Chronic mild to moderate tracheobronchitis with a prolonged duration (6-8 weeks or longer), that is minimally or not responsive to antibiotics.
Chronic pneumonia that is minimally or not responsive to antibiotics.
Acute pneumonia that rapidly becomes severe and often leads to poor outcomes in as little as 24 to 36 hours.
Separately, the San Diego Humane Society (SDHS) is dealing with a canine respiratory illness outbreak that has been exacerbated by overcrowding. The organization said that four of its dogs died after being infected with Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus), which has been complicated by infection with additional bacterial agents in some cases (see November 13 statement).
At this time, there are no indications that there is a connection between the San Diego situation and the cases in Oregon, Colorado, and other areas of the country.”
