HERPES IN DOGS NOT CONTAGIOUS TO PEOPLE

Question: I was recently told of a whole litter of puppies that died from herpes. I have never heard of this before. What is it? Can people get it?

Answer: There are many different strains of herpes viruses. The one you heard of is not contagious to people. Canine herpes typically affects 1- to 3-week-old puppies, who can die from it within hours. These puppies can be apparently healthy one minute and deadly ill the next. They cry pitifully, will not nurse, and are very restless. Typically they are not feverish, and in fact, may be hypothermic. Mortality rates are very high, often 100 percent. Puppies that do recover may serve as carriers for long periods of time. Treatment involves giving supportive care. There are no known drugs that will kill the virus.

Puppies are generally infected at birth by passing through a mother's infected birth canal. Although the virus causes no serious illness in adults, infected females usually have blister-like nodules on their vaginas. These nodules are the source of infection for the puppies. It is worth noting that herpes infection in adult females may also produce infertility.