High risk of transmission from dogs-Life health

British health officials are investigating the possibility of a link between domestic pets and a mass outbreak of acute hepatitis in children around the world.

The UK Health Security Agency has found that among a large number of children under the age of 10 with acute hepatitis, many families have dogs or have been exposed to canine – the adenovirus 1 that causes acute hepatitis. counted in dogs.

The agency is investigating 163 cases of acute hepatitis in children detected in the UK since January, including 11 in need of a liver transplant.

Experts describe the possibility of a link between acute hepatitis in young children and pet dogs as going as far as looking at how many families have domestic dogs in the UK.

A large number of children with acute hepatitis in the UK have domestic dogs.

Official data show that nearly 300 cases of acute hepatitis in children are detected worldwide. One child died of unspecified acute hepatitis and four other deaths are under investigation in the US and Indonesia.

Up to now, scientists have not been able to pinpoint the exact cause of this mysterious series of acute hepatitis cases, in which hepatitis A, B, C, D, E viruses have been excluded from the population. causative agent based on laboratory test results.

75% of children with mysterious acute hepatitis in the UK are positive for adenovirus.

Previously, medical experts thought that adenovirus could be the culprit, and now scientists are investigating because adenovirus often causes abdominal pain and cold symptoms.

Dogs are known to be infected with two strains of adenovirus, one of which causes infectious hepatitis. Another strain is among the pathogens that cause kennel cough.

Infectious hepatitis is a disease that occurs only in dogs with symptoms of biphasic fever, a sharp decrease in white blood cells, conjunctivitis and corneal opacity, and an enlarged liver. The numerator is high in young dogs. Virus of the family Adenoviridae, single-stranded viral DNA, without envelope, 70-90 nm in size.

Kennel cough is a contagious respiratory disease in dogs. During the change of seasons, the weather welcomes cold winds, high humidity, dogs cough and are most susceptible to kennel cough. Kennel cough is a form of bronchitis, similar to pneumonia commonly found in humans.

Dogs are often susceptible to two strains of adenovirus, one of which causes infectious hepatitis.

Dogs are often susceptible to two strains of adenovirus, one of which causes infectious hepatitis.

Infectious Canine Hepatitis

According to the information and knowledge page of VietDVM, Infectious Canine Hepatitis is a highly contagious disease caused by the Canine Adenovirus-1 (CAV-1) virus. Wild dogs and dogs that have not been vaccinated against CVA-1 can become infected, especially dogs under 1 year of age. The disease is not contagious to humans.

CAV-1 virus through the mouth, ingestion penetrates the tissues of most of the body’s organs of dogs, although not yet sick (incubation), but this time CAV-1 infection can be transmitted to other dogs through other dogs. excreta: feces, urine and drool… The lucky dogs that recovered from the disease still carry the virus up to 9 months later.

Symptoms of infectious hepatitis in dogs:

The CAV-1 virus attacks the liver, kidneys and circulatory system and quickly invades the entire body. The dog has poor appetite, refuses to eat and then goes into a coma. The incubation period is 4-7 days.

– The form is too acute, the dog suddenly stops eating, faints, bloody diarrhea, rapid collapse and death within a few hours. Young dogs often die without showing any special symptoms.

– Acute form: fever (39.4 – 41.1 degrees Celsius), anorexia, diarrhea and bloody vomiting. Dogs often bend and writhe due to severe pain in the abdomen due to liver swelling. Light can irritate the eyes, causing pain, inflammation, and watery eyes. There are hemorrhagic spots under the skin, conspicuous in the abdomen. The mucous membranes of the eyes are yellow and then the whole skin is yellow like turmeric due to jaundice, the bile pigment spills into the blood. Dogs can hardly survive once they show symptoms of jaundice.

About 25% of dogs who recover from the disease have a “leak eye” sequelae caused by cataracts, which can clear up on their own after a few days or carry sequelae.

The disease is often paired with Kennel Cough Infectious Tracheobronchitis, accompanied by respiratory symptoms, cough, and discharge, inflammation of the nose, eyes…

There is no specific treatment for acute hepatitis in dogs, mainly symptomatic treatment such as rehydration, electrolyte balance, glucose infusion, lactated Ringer and secondary anti-inflammatory antibiotics, vitamins. , increase liver and kidney function, and take care as prescribed by veterinarians. In the too-acute form, there is almost no chance for treatment, the dog dies within a few hours to 2-3 days after the disease.

Prevention and quarantine of infectious hepatitis in dogs

– Dogs must be vaccinated against Infectious Hepatitis, which is a attenuated vaccine containing a mixture of CAV-1 and CVA-2 viruses, and against Kennel Cough Infectious Tracheobronchitis. The letter “H” on vaccine labels is the first letter of “Hepatitis” for easy identification.

Pets should be vaccinated against infectious diseases

– Young dogs must be vaccinated at 6-8 weeks of age and then again at 12 weeks of age. Repeat once a year.

– Dogs that are sick or suspected of being sick must be isolated and strictly controlled for sanitation and decontamination. Special treatment of excreta, water to wash the cage, dog breeding area.

– Quarantine and monitor newly imported dogs, purchased dogs must be fully vaccinated according to the procedure. Do not gather unvaccinated dogs in Dog shows, Festivals, Petshops, must have their own infectious disease treatment area with adequate disinfection and hygiene conditions.