The words "bird flu," or avian influenza (AI), cause a lot of concern these days. According to Flu.gov, there have not been any reported infections of this kind in the U.S. – in humans nor animals.1 However, in 2011, there were 34 deaths as a result of the infection in Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Egypt and Indonesia. And now, news from South Korea reports that bird flu has been found in dogs living in the country.2
The Global Post reported that 11 dogs living on two different farms were found to be infected with AI. This is the first time that canines with the infection have survived, and the animals have been isolated from the general public so that further testing may be conducted. There are another 18 suspected cases of bird flu in South Korea, but the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs are still waiting on test results for confirmation.
1 Flu.gov, "H5N1 avian flu (H5N1 bird flu)"
2 Global Post, "S. Korea reports additional infection of bird flu in dogs" March 24, 2014