Infectious Diseases & Epidemiology

Since the original companion animal vaccines were developed and licensed more than 50 years ago, there has been a continuing effort to make vaccines safer and more efficacious. Today, it is generally agreed that the vaccines licensed for dogs and cats have not only saved millions of lives but also have an excellent safety record.

Ringworm is rarely life threatening in household pets, but in the shelter, it can lead to almost unmanageable outbreaks, excessive costs, and euthanasia due to its zoonotic potential.

Canine parvovirus (CPV) poses a serious threat in animal shelters, as a double stranded DNA virus that has rapid spread and the ability to persist in the environment for months to years. Vaccination is the cornerstone to keeping this virus at bay. Although parvoviruses evolve, they tend to be antigenically stable so vaccination confers reliable protection even against newer strains such as CPV 2c.

In just the past 3 to 5 years, advanced diagnostic capabilities have enhanced our ability to detect infectious pathogens in the dog and have given credence to the term "emerging" infections. However, the ever-expanding list of "emerging infectious diseases", in fact, may not be emerging at all?as it appears; many of these infections have, quite likely, existed in dogs for several years.

The feline retroviruses, FeLV and FIV, today are well recognized for their ability to cause profound immune-suppressive disease in cats throughout the world. Clearly among the most complex infections affecting the cat, a retroviral infection demands an immune response that is robust and sustained if the infected cat is to survive long-term.

In shelters, there are many causes of diarrhea in felines. The predominant player that is of most significance is feline panleukopenia, but there are other pathogens that should not be overlooked when faced with an ill cat with diarrhea.

While both parenteral and topical vaccines prevent signs of illness in exposed dogs, there are significant differences between the two products. First: in the only comparative challenge study published to date, it was shown that dogs vaccinated with a single dose of a topical (intranasal) vaccine were protected from infection and bacterial shedding.

Keeping cats indoors has become common veterinary advice to reduce the risk of exposure to infectious diseases and injury from vehicles or other animals. This advice may not be completely beneficial for cats, however. As early as 1925, Kirk suggested that "too close confinement to the house" increased the risk of lower urinary tract signs (LUTS). Results of subsequent epidemiological studies have confirmed his observations.

Polk County, Mo. -- A Missouri farm was quarantined and is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) after an outbreak of Avian influenza (H7N3).

Why you should be on the lookout for this condition in cats.

Animals can become infected with leptospirosis through direct and indirect transmission.

Photo gallery: The top 10 veterinary schools in America

Erlanger, Ky -- Within days of the euthanization of a ferret at a Kentucky ferret shelter, 16 more fell sick from H1N1.

Okemos, Mich. - A Brucella canis outbreak in Michigan should not be pinned on venereal transmission, cautions the Michigan Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA).

A recent study examined the safety and efficacy of orally administered famciclovir in cats experimentally infected with a pure strain of FHV-1.

When PCR testing is helpful-and when it isn't.

You may already know the top dog breeds in the nation, but are you aware of the most common diseases associated with them?

Schaumburg, Ill. -- The first case of H1N1 in a companion animal in more than a year has been confirmed in Wisconsin, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).

National Report - A new study by researchers at USDA's Plum Island Animal Disease Center and Colorado State University has traced the route of infection of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus.

How veterinary professionals can avoid become infected.

The history of canine influenza virus began with the identification of infections in racing greyhounds, directing research that defined canine influenza virus (CIV), a variant of equine influenza virus with a unique genetic signature capable of being transmitted from dog to dog.

A new study by researchers at USDA's Plum Island Animal Disease Center and Colorado State University has traced the route of infection of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus.

Why this surveillance is more important than ever.

What is unique about this infectious agent.

The factors favorable to the agent responsible for cat scratch disease.

Guidelines for feline immunodeficiency virus and feline leukemia virus testing, focusing on kittens.

Infectious diseases can often be insidious in their clinical presentation. Case studies will be used to highlight some interesting infectious diseases that can affect the feline patient.

The importance of virus surveillance in all animal species.

Despite the availability of canine vaccines against various serovars, this zoonotic disease has seemed to be making a comeback.

This study suggests that testing for FIV infection should be part of the diagnostic evaluation in young or middle-aged cats with CKD.