?Contact exposure experiments of influenza virus (H5N1)–infected cats with susceptible dogs, and  
infected dogs with susceptible dogs and cats, did not result in intraspecies or interspecies transmission.  
Infected dogs showed increased body temperatures, viral RNA in pharyngeal swabs, and seroconversion  
but not fatal disease.  
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus (H5N1) has spread across Asia, Europe,  
and Africa. Transmission of the virus to felids has been repeatedly reported (1–4). Investigations  
also indicate virus transmission to dogs. A fatal infection was documented in Thailand (5,6). In  
central Thailand, seroprevalence of ≈25% among 629 village dogs was reported (7). The virus  
was also detected in 2 dogs on Bali (8). The often close contact between dogs and humans raises  
questions about the zoonotic potential and the role of dogs in transmission and adaptation of  
influenza virus (H5N1) to mammals.  

07-0864.pdf