4
Wednesday, February 28, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Canine influenza hits Oregon
By Jodi Schneider McNamee
Correspondent
This year the flu has taken
its toll and spread rapidly
across the country, killing
young and healthy people
along the way.
The flu is affecting pets,
too. Dogs across the country
are coming down with flu-
like symptoms due to wide-
spread canine influenza. The
flu strain is different than the
one affecting humans. But it’s
just as dangerous and even
more contagious among dogs.
And it can affect cats also.
Dogs, like us, are social
creatures; and all social dogs,
especially those who travel,
visit dog parks, doggie day-
care, boarding kennels, and
grooming facilities – are at
risk for contacting the newer
highly contagious H3N2
dog flu. The viral infection
is spread through barking,
coughing, and sneezing when
pets are in close contact with
infected animals.
This canine H3N2 was
first identified in the United
States in March 2015 fol-
lowing an outbreak of respi-
ratory illness in dogs in the
Chicago area. Veterinarians
in and around the Chicago
area noticed an increase in
the number of dogs coming
into their clinics for respira-
tory illness.
The dogs had symptoms
involving the respiratory
system including coughing,
nasal discharge, and leth-
argy. And more severe signs,
including pneumonia, were
seen in more severe cases.
Prior to this, reports of
canine H3N2 influenza virus
were restricted to South
Korea, China, and Thailand.
Following the initial diag-
nosis in Chicago, more cases
of canine influenza were
reported in several states. In
early 2016, a group of shel-
ter cats in Indiana were diag-
nosed with H3N2 canine
influenza. It is believed the
virus was transmitted to them
from infected dogs.
In May 2017, canine
H3N2 influenza was diag-
nosed in dogs in Florida,
Georgia, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Texas,
K e n t u c k y, Te n n e s s e e ,
Missouri, Louisiana, and
Illinois. This was the same
strain of H3N2 involved in
the 2015 outbreak in Chicago.
“The Canine flu is cur-
rently experiencing intense
flare-ups in defined geo-
graphic locations,” said
Amy Glaser, director of
the Molecular Diagnostic
Laboratory at Cornell’s
Animal Health Diagnostic
Center.
Then this past January
the San Francisco SPCA
announced that cases of dog
flu had been confirmed in the
Bay Area and encouraged pet
parents to contact their vet-
erinarians if their pets display
symptoms of the virus.
“The outbreak in the Bay
Area wasn’t so far south of
us,” said Dr. Carl E. Berg,
DVM and owner of Sisters
Veterinary Clinic. “And now
the canine influenza has hit
an area in Southern Oregon.
The Oregon Veterinary
Medical Association recently
came out with a statement
that said Oregon veterinari-
ans should consider vaccinat-
ing their patients for canine
influenza.”
There are currently two
strains of canine influenza
virus that have been identi-
fied in the United States:
H3N2 and H3N8. The new
vaccine covers both. And
the existing strains of dog
flu cannot be transmitted to
humans.
The virus spreads rap-
idly, especially at boarding
facilities, groomers, doggy
daycare, dog parks and other
spots where dogs co-mingle.
Dr. Berg also noted that
the canine influenza is part of
the canine respiratory disease
complex, such as Bordetella,
but is a newer emerging
strain.
This highly contagious
virus that began as an isolated
case of respiratory disease in
Chicago has now become a
nationwide health concern for
all dogs.
Dr. Dana Bailey, associate
veterinarian at Broken Top
Veterinary Clinic, said, “We
have been informing our cli-
ents about canine influenza
and that they can receive a flu
vaccine for their dog. Right
now, it’s not considered a core
PHOTO BY JODI SCHNEIDER MCNAMEE
Elsie is an older dog who could
benefit from a flu shot.
vaccine, but rather a non-core
or lifestyle vaccine.”
Core vaccines are the
usual annual vaccines and
are recommended for all pets
with an unknown vaccina-
tion history, as they protect
against diseases that infect
dogs or cats of all life stages
and lifestyles. And non-core
vaccines are optional vac-
cines that should be consid-
ered in light of the exposure
risk of the animal.
The new flu vaccine is
annual, with a booster one
month later after the first
vaccine.
To keep pets safe, more
pet-care facilities are now
requiring canine influenza
vaccinations for all dogs,
similar to requirements for
Bordetella – another highly
contagious respiratory virus.
Canine influenza is a
highly contagious virus. All it
takes is one interaction with
an infected dog or infected
surface for your pet to con-
tract the disease.
MEATS • CHEESES • EATERY • DRINKERY
110 S. SPRUCE ST. | 541-719-1186
OPEN EVERY DAY 9 A.M. TO 7 P.M.
Rare Opening in Sisters
Quilts will express
community values
On March 9, Sisters
Country will begin bringing
to life an interactive piece of
public art that will showcase
the hopes of local residents—
in their own words.
The Community Values
& Visioning signature quilt
project invites residents to
ink short- to medium-length
values statements onto pre-
made fabric squares. This
spring, those squares will
be assembled into a finished
quilt, which will be unveiled
during the Sisters Outdoor
Quilt Show (SOQS).
Residents can sign the
squares during a series of
upcoming Values & Visioning
booths to be presented by
Citizens4Community in con-
cert with the Sisters Country
visioning effort. Sentiments
collected on the quilt will
help inform and guide the
visioning effort as that pro-
cess looks to help shape the
community’s future. There is
no cost to sign a quilt square,
but the number of squares is
limited.
Several local nonprofit,
business and municipal part-
ners are collaborating on
the booths and quilt project,
including: C4C, East of the
Cascades Quilters, Kathy
Deg g e n d o r f e r D e s i g n s ,
SOQS, Stitchin’ Post, Ray’s
Food Place, Suttle Tea,
Sisters Library, and city and
county leaders.
The Values & Visioning
booths also will feature sur-
veys, information-sharing
by county and city visioning
representatives, giveaways
for participants and more.
Area residents will be
encouraged to answer ques-
tions like: “Why would you
live here and nowhere else?”
and “What is your vision
for Sisters Country?” — for
example: What initiatives
or actions might further
strengthen the community?
Organizers also hope to
launch a youth essay contest
as part of the visioning effort.
Four Values & Visioning
booths are planned:
• 2:30 to 6 p.m. Friday,
March 9 at Ray’s Food Place.
• 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 10 at Ray’s.
• 2 to 5:30 p.m. Friday,
March 16 at the Sisters
Library.
• 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Sat., March 17 at Suttle Tea.
“The idea is: ‘Let’s Talk,
Sisters.’ We want as many
people as possible to join
the conversation as we envi-
sion our future,” said Amy
Burgstahler, a C4C board
member and a lead coordina-
tor for the quilt project and
booths. She also is a vision-
ing project team member.
Given Sisters’ rich textile
arts heritage, a community
signature quilt seemed like
a natural way to “share and
commemorate the essential
qualities that make Sisters
Country, Sisters Country,”
B u rg s t a h l e r s a i d . T h e
project also fit well with
C4C’s mission to encour-
age civic engagement, col-
laboration and respectful
See QUILT PROJECT on page 12
Youth Lacrosse
Registration
Open
Practice days, times, and
locations will be announced
once the teams have been formed
Grades 1-2 (Coed): $75
Grades 3-5 (Girls): $75
Grades 3-4 (Boys): $75
Grades 5-6 (Boys): $125
Grades 6-8 (Girls): $150
Grades 7-8 (Boys): $150
REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS MARCH 1
H’ H
View activities & classes, and register online!
www.SistersRecreation.com
A’ H
1750 W. Mckinney Butte Rd. | 541-549-2091
115 NW Greenwood, Redmond | 541-588-6119
192 E. Tall Fir Ct., Sisters | 541-549-1726
P’ P
182 E. Tall Fir Ct., Sisters | 541-549-1336
D L T | O/O
Business Cell (541) 848-3194
“Enriching the lives of those we serve, one day at time”
SNO CAP
MINI STORAGE
Sisters Industrial Park
157 Sisters Park Dr. • 541-549-3575
www.SistersStorage.com
• State-of-the-art
Security Technology
• Sizes from 5x5 to 12x40
• Individual Gate Codes
• Long-term Discounts
• On-site Manager