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Tracking the next pandemic: Avian Flu Talk

a type A influenza virus called H3N8
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    Posted: June 12 2006 at 12:59pm

Biologycal Hazard - North-America

Event summary
GLIDE Number BH-20060609-6363-USA    
Event type Biologycal Hazard Date / time 09/06/2006 - 08:56:20 (Military Time, UTC)
Country USA Area -
County / State California City Los Angeles
Cause of event Unknow Log date 09/06/2006 - 08:56:20 (Military Time, UTC)
Damage level Not or Not data Time left - 
Latitude: N 34° 6.675 Longitude: W 118° 27.009
Number of deaths: Not or Not data Number of injured persons: Not or Not data
DESCRIPTION
A rare outbreak of dog flu has swept through a kennel in southern California, raising concerns over the possible spread of an untreatable virus, animal control officials said on Thursday. The disease, a type A influenza virus called H3N8 by scientists, is believed to have mutated from a horse flu common at racetracks where it leapt to greyhound dogs in the state of Florida in 2000. The virus, however, does not appear to be transferable humans, experts said. No vaccine is currently available for the dog flu, and it cannot be treated by any specific drug, said Dunne. The flu spread like wildfire at the facility run by Canine Companions for Independence, an organisation that pairs trained dogs with the disabled that is based in Oceanside, a small town south of Los Angeles. Two dogs have tested positive for the virus and the 62 other dogs in the kennel are displaying characteristic symptoms of coughing and sneezing. All dogs at the facility have been quarantined. While humans are not thought to be at immediate risk from the virus, influenza changes continuously and further species mutation cannot be completely ruled out, Dunne warned.
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Can H5N1 mix with H3N8?
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Points: 1272 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jhetta Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 13 2006 at 12:46am
Originally posted by carolina kid carolina kid wrote:

Can H5N1 mix with H3N8?
 
Yes...
 
H3N8 is of avian origin and jumped to horses before it jumped to dogs. 
 
H3N8 Widespread in Companion Dogs in the United States

Recombinomics Commentary
http://www.recombinomics.com/News/09270502/H3N8_Companion_Dogs.html27, 2005

August 2004, 6 pet dogs in the same household were examined at a southwest Florida veterinary clinic for respiratory disease. The dogs ranged in age from 6 months to 10 years and included a German Shepherd Dog, a rat terrier, and 4 terrier cross breeds. The 4 terrier
cross breed dogs had been adopted from an animal shelter facility in south Florida 1 week earlier.......

Serum collected from the 6 dogs was tested for antibody to canine/FL/04 (H3N8) by HI. The 3 dogs that had clinical disease for at least 7 days were seropositive with antibody titers ranging from 64 to 512.......

Serum samples collected from 16 dogs with clinical disease for < 5 days were negative for antibody to canine/FL/04 (H3N8) by HI. Of the 42 dogs that had clinical disease for =7 days, 40 had HI antibody titers ranging from 32 to >1024 to canine/FL/04 (H3N8).

The descriptions above demonstrate that H3N8 is widely detected in companion dogs.  Reports in the summer of 2004 indicated H3N8 was being found in greyhounds at racetracks in Florida.  This year there were more reportsof fatal infections in Florida and New England in the Boston area.  There were also reports of H3N8 being found in companion dogs.

The latest examples indicate H3N8 is easily spread in kennels and shelters and is now in many states.  In the past H3N8 was frequently found in horses, and the latest report indicates that the H3N8 is most closely related to the H3N8 from horses.

However, H3N8 has H3, which is the most common human serotype, so the potential for the H3 in H3N8 to become involved in human infections is very real.  H3N8 has also been isolated from wild water fowl as well as pet birds, but the rapid spread of H3N8 through pet dogs in the United States probably poses the greatest threat for human infections, since the pets a popular and frequently kept indoors with frequent encounters with adults and children.

Although H3N8 has not been reported in humans, the dramatic expansion of the host range and geographical range by H3N8 could create new opportunities for genetic exchange of information via reassortment or recombination.  This could also impact dual infections by H5N1.  There have been some reports of H5N1 in dogs in Thailand, so H3N8 in dogs could offer a new species for acquisition of a human receptor binding domain by H5N1 avian influenza.

Plans had been announced for collection of serum samples from animal handlers in contact with racing dogs.  The widespread detection of H3N8 in companion dogs suggests such screening should be expanded.

 
 
VIOGENIX DUO    
The World's First Combined Diagnostic Test for Cats and Dogs That Detects Both the Avian H5N1 and Canine H3N8 Strains of Influenza A

CYNTEGRA's diagnostic technology is similar to that used to detect influenza and SARS in humans

CYNTEGRA today announced the launch of VIOGENIX DUO, a rapid test for cats and dogs that detects two highly contagious influenza A viruses: H5N1, commonly called "bird flu," and the H3N8 canine influenza, a newly isolated strain of the influenza A virus, commonly called "dog flu". CYNTEGRA's diagnostic technology is similar to that used to detect influenza and SARS in humans.

The avian influenza virus H5N1 or "bird flu," can infect a number of mammal species including humans, rats and mice, ferrets, pigs, cats and dogs.

It is known that domestic and non-domestic cats can become infected and killed by H5N1 by eating infected raw birds.

Horizontal transmission of H5N1 has also occurred between cats.

There is also evidence from Taiwan that dogs can become infected with the avian strain of the flu, H5N1, and the first suspected case of H5N1 in dogs was reported in Azerbaijan in March 2006.

Canine influenza or "dog flu" is an H3N8 virus that was believed to first infect dogs in 2004, and is spreading throughout the USA. Canine influenza produces flu-like symptoms, including sneezing, coughing, and very high fevers. Infected dogs require immediate veterinary attention. Nearly 100 percent of dogs that are exposed to the virus become infected, regardless of age or vaccination history. Early numbers suggest that one in one hundred infected dogs will die. However, some researchers have placed the figure as high as one in ten, and the number could be higher due to misdiagnosis of the virus as "kennel cough." Symptoms generally appear two to five days after a dog is exposed to the virus, and of those infected, 20 percent show no signs of disease. CYNTEGRA has the exclusive worldwide license from the University of Florida for canine flu diagnostics.

Simon Brodie, CEO of CYNTEGRA stated: "Viruses survive by adapting to both existing and new hosts. We should not be surprised by the ability of these viruses to infect cats and dogs. There is even concern that our pets might contract avian flu and transmit it to humans. CYNTEGRA's decision to launch a combined H5N1/H3N8 test immediately was twofold: first, VIOGENIX DUO provides an accurate bird flu test for both dogs and cats. Second, VIOGENIX DUO permits further differentiation between the avian and dog flu in dogs, given the similarity of symptoms."

Brodie continues: "Speed of detection is perhaps the greatest benefit of VIOGENIX DUO. In trials, VIOGENIX DUO detected dog flu within 12 hours of infection, days before the animals started to show any clinical signs of illness. With results provided in just a few hours, and a processing capacity of thousands per day, VIOGENIX DUO ensures that infected animals can be quickly isolated and further contain the infection."

CYNTEGRA is the first company to commercialize low cost, high throughout molecular diagnostics for multiple animal pathogens, with an online data reporting system for tracking disease occurrences. CYNTEGRA allows state and private veterinarians to screen for multiple pathogens at an affordable cost to the pet owner.

About CYNTEGRA(TM)

CYNTEGRA, formerly GeneSentinel, is a privately-held biotechnology company headquartered in San Diego, California, focused on improving the lives of companion animals and their owners. Read more at http://www.cyntegra.com

Contact:
CYNTEGRA(TM) Inc.
Tel: 619.819.5066
Fax: 310.861.5606
Email: pressroom(at)cyntegra.com

# # #

For More Information: http://www.cyntegra.com

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