The recent H3N2 canine influenza cluster in Ontario is hopefully still contained. Some infected dogs continue to shed the virus, but a good thing about flu is that there’s no long-term carrier state. Dogs will typically shed the virus for a couple of weeks, but then it should be gone. Accordingly, if the affected dogs (imported dogs and the household contacts they infected) can be contained for a few weeks, it’s possible that it can be eradicated from the area. However, with the amount of ongoing cross-border dog traffic, we must always be vigilant for new incursions.
Here’s our updated H3N2 influenza infosheet for veterinarians.