WesternU College of Veterinary Medicine statement on the Atypical Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Outbreak (aCIRD)

By Christiana Schall and William Reinhard

The veterinary landscape is currently grappling with an atypical perplexing challenge: a suspected novel canine upper respiratory disease that was first reported in late summer 2023. Cases of this unusual condition, currently called atypical Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease (aCIRD), have slowly appeared in various states throughout the U.S.

Symptoms exhibited by affected canines mirror those commonly associated with known respiratory ailments, diagnostic tests have proven inconclusive. Notably, the standard pathogens implicated in such respiratory distresses are absent in test results, complicating the diagnostic and treatment paradigms.

While some clinical manifestations might echo familiar conditions like kennel cough, the disease’s resistance to conventional treatments has emerged as a significant concern. Some clinical signs in affected canines may include:

1. Chronic and persistent respiratory clinical signs;
2. Acute progression to pneumonia;
3. Laboratory PCR tests for canine respiratory diseases are usually negative for most known pathogens, but occasionally positive for Mycoplasma spp.;
4. Poor response to some antibiotic treatments, but data is scarce because treatment options vary;
5. Some mortalities have been reported.

WesternU veterinarians (which includes Pedro Paulo V.P. Diniz, DVM, PhD, Professor; Yvonne Drechsler, DiplBiol (eq MS), PhD, Professor in Immunology and Virology; Tracey McNamara, DVM, DACVP, Professor in Pathology; Theros T. Ng, MSc, PhD, Assistant Professor in Foundation Sciences, Bioinformatics Lead; and Brandi Sparling, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow in Immunogenetics) in conjunction with the Los Angeles County Health Department, are diligently working to determine the cause of these diseases and develop guidelines for veterinarians and pet owners.

As of today, the disease is only limited to dogs. No known transmission to humans has been reported. As the situation evolves rapidly, WesternU CVM will periodically provide updates.

For dog owners vigilant about their pets’ health, early detection and intervention are paramount. Although the cause of the disease is unknown at this moment, we recommend following the general guidelines for known respiratory diseases recommended by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Respiratory diseases can spread rapidly from infected dogs before showing symptoms. Therefore, the spread of the diseases can be difficult to control. Dog owners should consider:

1. Vaccinating dogs for the core canine vaccines;
2. Additional Bordetella Bronchiseptica or canine influenza virus vaccines (H3N2 and H3N8) are recommended for dogs at risk or have high exposure to other dogs, such as those that are immunocompromised or exposed to multiple-dog settings;
3. Dogs that are showing clinical signs of any respiratory illnesses should be isolated and avoid any social settings for at least 28 days past the first day of onset of illness;
4. Clean and disinfect surfaces using household cleaners such as 10% bleach;
5. Consult with your veterinarian about vaccines and protocols to mitigate diseases.

If you are suspicious of clinical cases relevant to aCIRD in your clinics or hospital, please report them to your local public health officials. Provide results of Antech Canine Respiratory PCR Panel (T995) or IDEXX Respiratory Disease (CRD) RealPCR^TM Panel (Comprehensive) Canine (2524) and SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) add-on (Antech T998 or IDEXX 8826/88261). Swabs should be collected from disease dogs in the early days at the first clinical signs. A complete history of antibiotic treatment is essential.

We encourage readers to take a very close look at the summary, timeline, and other information provided below.

Summary:

There have been reports of respiratory diseases in dogs in the United States with common clinical signs, but unknown etiology based on preliminary findings as of late summer 2023. Western University of Health Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) has been working with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to determine the cause of these diseases and develop guidelines for veterinarians and pet owners. As of today, the disease is only limited to dogs. No known transmission to humans has been reported. The situation is evolving rapidly. WesternU will periodically provide updates.

Timeline:

As early as late summer and autumn of 2022, the University of New Hampshire, New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Lab (NHVDL) and Hubbard Center for Genomic Studies have been analyzing samples for unknown respiratory diseases in dogs¹. Beginning in August 2023, the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) received reports of an atypical canine infectious respiratory disease (aCIRD) in dogs in the state of Oregon². Since then, ODA has received over 200 reports of aCIRD. WesternU was made aware of aCIRD cases in California in September 2023 and has been formulating plans to diagnose and treat the disease.

WesternU Response:

A team of faculty at WesternU CVM has been in constant communication with the local public health officials to determine the cause of the disease. We are determining a diagnostic plan with a diagnostic laboratory for the samples that have been collected in the Los Angeles and Orange County locations. We will continue to collect relevant samples and data and update accordingly.

Recommendations for Veterinarians:

If you are suspicious of clinical cases relevant to aCIRD in your clinics or hospital, please report them to your local public health officials. Provide results of Antech Canine Respiratory PCR Panel (T995) or IDEXX Respiratory Disease (CRD) RealPCR^TM Panel (Comprehensive) Canine (2524) and SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) add-on (Antech T998 or IDEXX 8826/88261). Swabs should be collected from disease dogs in the early days at the first clinical signs. A complete history of antibiotic treatment is essential.

Sample submission:

COMING SOON

References:

¹University of New Hampshire, New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. (2023, Nov. 21). Canine Respiratory Outbreak. https://colsa.unh.edu/new-hampshire-veterinary-diagnostic-laboratory/canine-respiratory-outbreak

²Oregon Veterinary Medical Association. (2023, Nov. 28). Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease in Oregon. https://www.oregonvma.org/news/reports-of-severe-canine-infectious-respiratory-disease-in-oregon

Contacts:

For Media Inquiries: Christiana Schall, Digital Marketing Communications Specialist, WesternU, CVM, cschall@westernu.edu.

For Veterinarians: Theros Ng (Primary Investigator), Assistant Professor in Foundation Sciences, WesternU, CVM. aCIRDTeam@westernu.onmicrosoft.com