Canine respiratory disease outbreak involving canine pneumovirus at an American animal shelter

Abstract

AbstractAn outbreak of canine infectious respiratory disease complex was attributed to canine pneumovirus in a municipal animal shelter in the northeastern United States. The outbreak comprised eight fatalities and over 100 cases in dogs of all signalments. Cases were characterised by mild to severe signs indicating upper airway, lower airway, and systemic involvement. Nasopharyngeal samples submitted to one commercial and one university laboratory for quantitative polymerase chain reaction testing revealed several canine infectious respiratory disease complex pathogens. However, only the university lab detected canine pneumovirus: multiple nasopharyngeal and lung samples tested positive. Vaccination status, lack of response to antimicrobials, and improvement after implementation of canine infectious respiratory disease outbreak management strategies tailored to canine pneumovirus characteristics indicate substantial involvement of this virus. The outbreak resolved within 1 month of adherence to clean break procedures, limitation of incoming dogs, and deep clean of the premises. This case highlights the difficulty in reliably detecting canine pneumovirus and how population management deficits permit canine infectious respiratory disease complex outbreaks.