JOAN BARRON Star-Tribune capital bureau | Posted: Tuesday, May 2, 2006 12:00 am
CHEYENNE - An outbreak of canine influenza shut down the Cheyenne Animal Shelter this weekend.
The dog park next to the shelter building also was closed.
The self-imposed quarantine authorized by shelter staff veterinarian Jim Hathaway came after four of five blood samples of shelter dogs with upper respiratory infections were diagnosed as canine influenza by the University of Florida, said a release from shelter spokeswoman Michelle Hazzard.
"This is a bad disease that came into the shelter and is not the fault of the shelter staff or anyone else," Hathaway said.
"This disease is not transmittable to humans or pets other than dogs," he added. The disease, he said, appears to be airborne, and physical contact between dogs does not seem to be required for a dog to get the ailment.
The Metro Animal Control Center in Casper was open Monday, said an employee who answered the phone. But no one else could be reached Monday afternoon to talk about the implications of the Cheyenne outbreak.
According to the Web site for the American Veterinary Medical Association, the first recognized outbreak of canine influenza in the world is believed to have occurred in racing greyhounds in January 2004 at a track in Florida. Since then, outbreaks have been reported in at racing tracks in 25 states.
"Because this is a newly emerging disease, almost all dogs, regardless of breed or age, are susceptible to infection and have no immunity. Virtually all dogs that are exposed to the virus become infected, and nearly 80 percent show clinical signs of disease. Fortunately, most affected dogs have the mild form," the AVMA site said.
The fatality rate so far has been low - 5 percent to 8 percent.
Meanwhile, Hathaway said if dog owners notice flu-like symptoms in their dogs, they should call their veterinarians and not take the pets to their vets' offices, where they could expose other dogs.
The shelter board set up a temporary off-site shelter for strays picked up by Cheyenne's animal control officers to separate them from the main shelter dog population.