Combating Canine Flu in Shelter Dogs

Canine influenza virus, commonly known as canine flu, causes a great deal of pain and suffering in dogs. The virus spreads through coughing, sneezing and close contact in closed environments. This makes canine influenza virus particularly damaging to dogs in shelters. Many shelters find it nearly impossible to rid their facilities of the disease once it is introduced. Researchers will learn more about how canine flu spreads among shelter dogs and will also determine whether there is a reliable “patient-side” test that could detect the virus during a dog’s intake exam at a shelter. This would allow shelter managers to quarantine affected dogs and keep the virus from spreading to healthy animals. The information learned could also help promote the use of a vaccine for this emerging and common virus.

D09CA-009
Dr. Gabriele A. Landolt, Colorado State University

 Co-sponsors: Gaithersburg Animal Hospital; El Pomar’s Hambrick Fund; Rex and Nelle Jackson Foundation; Kenneth S. Kail & Ivy Hwang; Neil and Sylvia Van Sloun, the Van Sloun Foundation