Dog Flu Spreading Through Midwest

First it was Illinois. Now the canine dog flu that has put Chicago-area owners and veterinarians on edge has also spread to Wisconsin, Indiana, and Ohio, per the AP, with more than 1,000 dogs in these Midwest states sickened, the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine reports. The most recent strain identified is the H3N2 virus, joining the cases of H3N8 virus that have already been reported in the region, the news agency notes.

Dogs infected with either virus can exhibit symptoms of a lasting cough, runny nose, and fever; neither strain can make humans sick, though H3N2 is also said to cause illness in cats. What one veterinary expert tells the AP he recommends for owners in affected areas: Make an appointment with a vet outside of a clinic if your dog seems ill, and don't let your pup go "nose-to-nose" or otherwise get too close with other dogs. Kennels, meanwhile, are doing extra sanitizing and suggesting dogs get vaccinated, though it's not yet known if current vaccines will guard against H3N2. (More flu stories.)