“Dogs are affected by several varieties of canine flu. But they could generate a new strain that could more easily jump? Between species.” explains Prof. Luis Martinez-Sobrido, from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Rochester (United States). “And because we are not immune, this this new virus could spread very widely and cause an epidemic”.
It is this observation that prompted American researchers to develop not one but two canine flu vaccine formulas that could well find their place in the animal vaccination schedule.
No needling: the vaccine is intra-nasal
There is already a vaccine for dog flu but it is developed from an inactive form of the virus and therefore offers limited protection and requires two injections a few weeks apart. The new vaccines have been developed from live attenuated strains, which makes them more effective in activating the immune defenses of dogs. In addition, no injection is necessary because the vaccination is intranasal.
These new vaccines have so far only been tested in mice. In the essays, published in the Journal of virology, they have shown their effectiveness against the H3N8 flu. The next step will therefore be to test them on dogs. If these trials are successful, the researchers would call on a laboratory interested in the production and marketing of the vaccine.
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