ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: In Nigeria, keeping of dogs as pets and guards is gaining popularity. To determine whether infection of dogs with novel canine influenza virus (CIV) of equine (H3N8) and avian (H3N2) origins had occurred in Nigeria, we screened pet and village dogs from Lagos, Ibadan, Odeda and Sagamu in southwestern Nigeria for antibodies to CIV H3N8 and H3N2. METHODS: Sera from 96 pet dogs presented at veterinary clinics in Lagos and Ibadan, and 89 village dogs from hunting communities in Odeda and Sagamu were tested for antibodies to CIV H3N8 and H3N2 using the hemagglutination inhibition test. RESULTS: Anti-CIV H3N8 antibodies were detected in 51 (53.1%) and 24 (27.0%) pet and village dogs, respectively. Overall, 40.5% (75/185) of the sera were positive for CIV H3N8 antibodies while none contained anti-CIV H3N2 antibodies. CONCLUSION: The presence of CIV H3N8 antibodies in pet and village dogs in this study suggests that they had natural exposure to the virus since dogs are not currently vaccinated against canine influenza in Nigeria. It is possible that the pet dogs acquired infection through contact with imported dogs in veterinary clinics, breeding kennels and dog shows while the village dogs could have been exposed through consumption of offal of infected animals killed during hunting. Considering the potential public health risk of this disease arising from the close relationship between pet and hunting dogs and their owners in Nigeria, systematic epidemiological surveillance of the Nigerian dog population for CIV H3N8, H3N2 and other influenza A virus subtypes is advocated.
