CANINE FLU HITS SOUTHLAND; DOG OWNERS TOLD TO BE ALERT.

Byline: Lisa M. Sodders Staff Writer

An outbreak of canine flu has made its way to Southern California, and local veterinarians are advising dog owners to be alert for signs of infection in their pets.

Symptoms include coughing, heavy nasal discharge, loss of appetite and fever, although some dogs might have a mild case and have no fever.

No vaccine is available, and there is no known cure, officials said.

The virus is spread by dogs coughing, sneezing or sharing water bowls, officials said.

``This is a new virus, but it's not the 1918 flu,'' said Dr. Jon Bernstein, a veterinarian at Bermar Pet Hospital in Inglewood, referring to the 1918-1919 pandemic that infected one-third of the world's population and killed up to 50 million people.

Bernstein's practice diagnosed the first confirmed cases in California in late August and early September.

He treated four dogs, two of which had only mild symptoms and two of which had high fevers, full-blown pneumonia and loss of appetite. One dog, a 2-year-old Rottweiler, died, he said.

Richard Holden, spokesman for the Southern California Veterinary Medical Association, said 60 dogs at a kennel in Stanton were treated in August for what veterinarians suspect may have been the canine flu. All of those dogs survived, and the kennel underwent a sterilization process and is back in operation.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the canine virus, which mimics some symptoms of kennel cough, was first diagnosed in the greyhound population in Florida in 2004.

The virus was traced back to an equine virus, which apparently jumped species and infected dogs, the CDC said. The virus has been present in horses for 40 years but has never infected humans.

About 80 percent of infected dogs so far have had only a mild case of the disease, and a small percentage will have complications, including pneumonia. The CDC estimates the fatality rate at 5 percent to 8 percent.

``It is serious because it is new, and therefore, very few dogs are immune,'' said Dr. Emily Beeler, a veterinarian with the Los Angeles County Veterinary Public Health and Rabies Control Program.

``The most important thing to do is that if your dog is coughing, don't take it to the dog park, don't take it to the kennel or day care or walk it through your vet's lobby, but do call your vet.''

Lisa M. Sodders, [phone]

lisa.sodders(at)dailynews.com