I am monitoring a number of veterinary medical and news sources for any changes in information regarding the current respiratory disease that is in the news. On 11/30, I watched a webinar presented by two highly regarded infectious disease veterinary specialists. Here is a recap of that and what seems to be the current status of understanding regarding the recent round of respiratory problems. These are individuals who experience a daily deluge of questions and are in the thick of the situation, so to speak, so have a good handle on the bigger picture with this round of Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex (CIRDC).
1. Data: There are many, many questions about what is going on at this time. Meaningful data are essentially absent as there is not a useful, comprehensive database for disease tracking of conditions like this. One source of information is insurance claims data indicating how many claims have been submitted for certain conditions. People with dogs with respiratory illnesses are encouraged to have samples submitted so additional testing can be done to help answer the many questions around this condition.
2. Organism: There has been some interesting DNA sequencing from ill dogs showing organisms similar to mycobacterium, a well known genus of a number of bacterial diseases including pneumonia, and some sequencing that looks like a relatively new viral organism. But neither is definitively linked to current respiratory disease. Work is ongoing to identify possible causative organisms which will help a lot with devising effective treatment plans.
3. Outcomes: There is a higher incidence of fatalities, but that could be due to more cases. More sick dogs naturally means more fatalities. Without good data, it is not clear if healthy dogs are succumbing or only high risk dogs. There are some anecdotal reports on the web and in the general news media of healthy dogs becoming seriously ill, but again not enough data to make meaningful connections. Cornell University confirms that this particular outbreak is associated with a longer course of illness and more severe outcomes for some dogs and does not respond to the usual treatment for other CIRDC illnesses. Many dogs do recover without problem, though it seems to take a bit longer in this current situation. It is not known just what leads to different outcomes in different cases. Add this to the list of questions at present.
4. Incidence: Claims data from Trupanion does show an increase in claims for respiratory conditions. Without a sound tracking system, claims data can be a somewhat useful indicator of cases. There are a lot of limitations to that, but there are limitations with all tracking systems due to reporting mechanisms. Claims are up as much as 70% in some areas. As of the end of October, Trupanion shows a 5.41% increase in the number of claims in Virginia. Some of this may be due to higher awareness and more people seeking care for symptomatic dogs more quickly than they might have in the past. Another unknown. Regardless, 70% is a sizeable increase, so there is something going on.
5. Vaccination status: This could be a factor. It is possible that people are more selective about vaccinations, perhaps foregoing some vaccinations altogether, or focusing only on the core vaccines. That would leave many dogs without Bordetella or parainfluenza vaccination, possibly opening a window for more infection and greater spread. This was one of many "hypotheses" presented by these specialists. Again, we don't know.
6. What to do: In spite of all the unknowns, they advised the standard caution for respiratory diseases, which are -- Keep vaccinations up to date, particularly Bordetella and parainfluenza. Influenza vaccine may be important as well depending on local data. That vaccine is not always available. Avoid contact with dogs of unknown health and vaccination status. Keep symptomatic dogs away from other dogs including in the same household. Good hygiene/sanitation around the house. They emphasized there is no need for panic, but also a need to be wise.
More specific guidelines have been developed for dog-related businesses such as grooming shops, day care, and boarding facilities, etc. So while the "don't panic" message is clear from many sources, there is good reason to be diligent and cautious.
I will continue to monitor credible sources of information and will update this blog entry when there is new information to share. Feel free to bookmark this page and check periodically for updates.
