28 Sep 2005
Dog flu: widespread but treatable

More scary stuff - note that this one jumped from equines. Apparently this has been making the rounds of various e-lists of late, and was brought to the attention of Snopes.com, who verified it and published more detailed information.

A new canine influenza has sickened dogs at greyhound racing tracks, boarding kennels, and animal shelters in as many as 11 states, killing some animals, causing respiratory infections in others, and striking fear in the hearts of pet owners nationwide. From January to May 2005, reports of outbreaks of a new, respiratory disease primarily in racing dogs came into the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from Florida, Texas, Arkansas, Arizona, West Virginia, Kansas, Iowa, Colorado, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. Not all of these are confirmed cases of canine influenza. However, since this spring, scientists say they've confirmed cases of dog flu in pets in Florida, New York, and Massachusetts, and calls are coming in from veterinarians, shelters, and kennels elsewhere.

(link) [U.S. News & World Report]

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