title: Prolonged shedding of the canine influenza H3N2 virus in nasal swabs of experimentally immunocompromised dogs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The avian origin canine influenza virus H3N2 has been recently isolated and found to be currently in dog population in South Korea and China. The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between immunosuppressive glucocorticoids used in veterinary clinical practice and viral shedding pattern of influenza in dogs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight conventional beagle dogs were divided into control infection group and immunocompromised group. Dogs of both groups were infected with H3N2 canine influenza virus (2×10(6.0) EID50/0.1 mL). Dogs in immunocompromised group were given orally 3.0 mg/kg prednisolone for 7 days. Virus shedding was monitored using real-time polymerase chain reaction. After necropsy, histopathologic lesions were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that immunocompromised dogs exhibited more prolonged (8 days vs. 13 days) and higher magnitude viral shedding than control group (peak titer of viral shedding 4.6 vs. 5.5 EID50).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Restricted use of immunosuppressive drugs in the clinical setting might help control the rapid spread of H3N2 through local dog populations.
authors.affiliation: Viral Infectious Disease Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, Korea. ; University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Korea.
authors.forename: Minki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Bokyu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Woonsung
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Na
authors.forename: Dongjun
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: Hyoungjoon
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Doo-Jin
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jinsik
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Seong-Jun
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Haryoung
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Poo
authors.forename: Jeong-Ki
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jongman
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Daesub
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Song
keywords: Canine influenza virus; Glucocorticoid; Immunosuppression; Viral load