Olga Szaluś-Jordanow, Anna Golke, Tomasz Dzieciątkowski, Michał Czopowicz, Michał Kardas,
Marcin Mickiewicz, Agata Moroz-Fik, Andrzej Łobaczewski, Iwona Markowska-Daniel
and Tadeusz Frymus

IF=4.5 MNiSW=40 Microorganisms 2024, 12(4), 689; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12040689

Abstract

In summer 2023, during an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in cats
in Poland, a 16-year-old dog was presented to the veterinary clinic with persistent, debilitating, dry
cough, submandibular lymphadenomegaly, mild serous nasal discharge, and left apical heart murmur.
A preliminary diagnosis of kennel cough was made and the treatment with amoxicillin/clavulanic
acid and dexamethasone was initiated. Due to the lack of improvement within 2 days, a blood checkup,
thoracic radiography and ultrasonography, and echocardiography were performed. Moreover, a
rapid test for orthomyxovirus type A antigen in a throat swab was carried out and proved positive.
The result was verified using RT-qPCR, which yielded a positive result for A/H5N1 influenza virus
and negative results for A/H1N1, A/H3N2, type B influenza, and SARS-CoV-2. This case indicates
that HPAI should be considered as a differential diagnosis not only in cats, but also in dogs with upper
respiratory tract disease, particularly in regions experiencing A/H5N1 avian influenza outbreaks.

Keywords: highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI); influenza virus type A (IAV); A/H5N1; dog