A highly contagious airborne virus known as canine influenza is beginning to infect dogs in North Carolina according to public health agencies within the state.

Infections were confirmed earlier this week in Carteret, Rockingham, Wake and Davidson counties by the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Association.

Two dogs in the state were also reported to have died as a result of infection, with one of those canines having recently been brought to a dog show in Florida.

The deaths of those dogs were confirmed by Rollins Laboratory, which works with the North Carolina Department of Agricultural & Consumer Services.

According to that laboratory, the virus is spread through close proximity to infected dogs and contact with contaminated items such as bowls and clothing.

The virus may also be spread by people moving between infected and uninfected dogs, but no human infections with canine influenza have ever been reported.

Symptoms include a dry, hacking cough, lack of appetite, lethargy, fever and discharge from the eyes or nose, with treatment requiring veterinary assistance.

The NCVMA is advising dog owners to isolate their pets from other dogs if those symptoms manifest and keep them quarantined for up to 30 days after recovery.

Information on disinfection procedures, preventative vaccinations and cases outside of North Carolina is available through an online advisory at ncagr.gov/vet/aws/canineflu.

Photo by Getty Images.

Related Stories
‹
Duke Experts Share Advice On Avoiding, Treating Respiratory Viruses Over Holidays
Duke Health recently held a discussion on how people can avoid or cope with viral illnesses during the holiday season.
Orange County Animal Services Urges Caution After Canine Flu Cases in Chapel Hill, Durham
The Triangle community is largely still recovering from the last few years of dealing with changes to society caused by COVID-19. But recently, some organizations are going through new changes due to a different sickness — specifically, around dogs. Cases of canine influenza have been locally reported, causing animal professionals to issue caution to dog […]
Got the Sniffles? Here’s What To Know About Summer Colds, COVID-19 and More
Federal data released Friday shows COVID-19 is trending up in many parts of the country, with emergency department visits up among people of all ages.
As White Cross Firefighter Rescued Others from Chantal's Flooding, Water Damaged Her Own Home
Claudia Lima of the White Cross Fire Department lost her home in Chantal's flooding. But the first responder community stepped up to help.
As COVID Cases Surge with New Variants, Experts Encourage Bivalent Vaccine
North Carolina last week, compared to 23,322 the previous week. UNC infectious disease specialist Dr. David Wohl said the latest Covid surge is placing stress on hospital systems, clinics and workplaces.
After a Year, Omicron Still Driving COVID Surges and Worries
Written by LAURA UNGAR A year after omicron began its assault on humanity, the ever-morphing coronavirus mutant drove COVID-19 case counts higher in many places just as Americans gathered for Thanksgiving. It was a prelude to a wave that experts expect to soon wash over the U.S. Phoenix-area emergency physician Dr. Nicholas Vasquez said his […]
‘Viral Jambalaya’: Early Flu Adding to Woes for US Hospitals
Written by MIKE STOBBE and LINDSEY TANNER As Americans head into the holiday season, a rapidly intensifying flu season is straining hospitals already overburdened with patients sick from other respiratory infections. More than half the states have high or very high levels of flu, unusually high for this early in the season, the government reported Friday. Those […]
As NC Monkeypox Cases Rise, Mayor Seils Urges Those Eligible to Get Vaccinated
Mayor Damon Seils and a UNC student both received their monkeypox vaccine and are encouraging others to do the same.
WHO Again Considers Declaring Monkeypox a Global Emergency
Written by MARIA CHENG As the World Health Organization’s emergency committee convened Thursday to consider for the second time within weeks whether to declare monkeypox a global crisis, some scientists said the striking differences between the outbreaks in Africa and in developed countries will complicate any coordinated response. African officials say they are already treating the continent’s epidemic […]
Look Out, Labs: French Bulldogs Now 2nd Most Popular U.S. Dog
Written by JENNIFER PELTZ Could the French bulldog become America’s favorite purebred pooch? After riding a rocket ship to popularity over the last quarter-century, Frenchies came in second only to Labrador retrievers — the leaders for 30 straight years — in the American Kennel Club’s latest rankings, set to be released Wednesday. They reflect the […]
›