Fatal Bird Flu Infections in Greyhounds in Florida?
Recombinomics Commentary
February 25, 2005
>> The dog had been sick with a respiratory disease, state officials with the Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering said earlier this week.
Another greyhound died Monday and the first animal died Feb. 15, after a quarantine at the Daytona Beach facility, Francati said. Meg Shannon, a spokeswoman with Pari-Mutuel Wagering in Tallahassee, said all three animals had a respiratory illness.
A veterinarian at the University of Florida said she drew samples from the sick dogs in Daytona Beach and believed they could be suffering from influenza. <<
The deaths of the greyhounds in Florida sound very similar to greyhound deaths last season. The deaths then also suspended dog racing and the deaths were due to H3N8 bird flu. In the past H3N8 has also been found in horses, but last year's finding of H3N8 in dogs was the first time bird flu had been isolated in canines.
Testing will soon determine if H3N8 infections are again causing fatalities in dogs in Florida.
Media link