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Avian Influenza: Are Hunting Dogs at Risk of Getting Bird Flu?

The highly pathogenic Asian avian influenza, referred in the media as bird flu, is not easily transmitted to animals other than birds. Wild ducks in Maryland have been found to have a low incidence of low pathogenic forms of avian influenza, so a normal-looking, normal-acting duck is not likely to carry the virus.

In a recent study in Thailand, researchers tested more than 600 stray dogs, many of which presumably had access to sick or dead poultry in areas where the bird flu is known to occur. Antibodies for the bird flu were fond in about 25 percent of those dogs, meaning that they had been exposed to the disease but their immune system prevented them from becoming ill or dying.

Bird Flu is most frequently passed to dogs from chewing on carcasses of dead wild birds or catching infected live wild birds or poultry. It is possible the disease might also be transmitted dog to dog. Currently, cats have been the greatest cause of concern. Both cats and dogs can be infected, but they appear much less susceptible to the disease than poultry. So far there is no evidence that hunting dogs used in normal wild game bird hunting are considered at risk of acquiring avian influenza, since there have been no documented cases of the Asian form of the H5N1 virus infecting dogs in North America. Nevertheless, prudent dog owners should prevent their dogs from having contact with game birds that are obviously sick or found dead in the field. Nor should hunters feed their dogs any raw meat from game birds. These are routine safety precautions that hunting dog owners should already be following. Owners of hunting dogs should keep well informed on this issue and should consult their veterinarian for more information about influenza in pets.


For additional information, click on links below:

What hunters should know about Avian influenza

Avian Influenza & Wildlife - Questions and Answers