SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
from the watching-out-for-our-best-friends dept.
The always excellent Worms and Germs blog, out of the University of Guelph, has a series of articles about the recent arrival of Asian H3N2 canine flu into North America.
As described:
In a bit of a surprising twist, research performed by Cornell University, the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and the National Veterinary Services Laboratory has indicated that the large, ongoing canine flu outbreak in the Midwest US is being caused by an H3N2 influenza strain, not the expected H3N8 canine flu strain. Molecularly, the strain is closely related to H3N2 strains that are circulating in dogs in China and South Korea. H3N2 canine flu emerged in that region in the mid 2000s and is widely circulating in some areas.
It would appear that one culprit in the spread of this disease are the number of international "Rescue Societies." These groups travel to foreign countries, collect stray dogs, and bring them back to North America where they are adopted out to well-meaning families. Asia and South America are the preferred sources, although there are groups that rescue dogs in the US and haul them up to Canada.
The ultimate problem seems to be that aside from rabies there is not a lot of thought given by border agencies to managing imported pets. In fact, an awful lot of dogs are imported each year that don't even have the required rabies shots.
If over 2700 unvaccinated dogs were brought into the country, how many dogs were brought in in total? How many of the "vaccinated" dogs were really vaccinated? (Since scrutiny is limited and faking a vaccine certificate doesn’t exactly take a lot of effort.) What other pathogens might those thousands of imported dogs been carrying? Finally, why import those dogs in the first place? There’s hardly a shortage of dogs looking for homes in the US...
Here is a statement from the CDC [fixed] on the outbreak in the Chicago area.
(Score: 5, Informative) by FatPhil on Tuesday April 21 2015, @11:46AM
Absolutely no reason to have some random blogger as the middleman.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 3, Informative) by Dunbal on Tuesday April 21 2015, @11:51AM
Also from the CDC: "No human infections with either of these canine influenza viruses have ever been reported."
Why the hell are we even talking about this? Is soylent going to cover worming issues too?
(Score: 5, Funny) by The Archon V2.0 on Tuesday April 21 2015, @12:23PM
> Is soylent going to cover worming issues too?
Oh great, another global worming denier.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by rts008 on Tuesday April 21 2015, @01:40PM
Now that I've finished cleaning my coffee splattered keyboard and monitor, I have to say that was superb. :-)
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Tuesday April 21 2015, @05:36PM
How many of the "vaccinated" dogs were really vaccinated?
We're talking about a Flu virus here right? Unless people are getting Flu vaccines for their dogs now I think we can estimate that none of them were vaccinated.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 21 2015, @08:13PM
Not true. There are all sorts of vaccines for dogs beyond rabies including that for influenza. Some of them are required if you want to board your dog at a kennel.
(Score: 2) by CoolHand on Tuesday April 21 2015, @12:16PM
You're correct, that is a better more accurate link.. fixed.
Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job-Douglas Adams