Operations News – October 2024

“Mice lie, and monkeys exaggerate”
This phrase refers to the limitations of animal studies in drug development and disease research: How on earth does that relate to our beloved hounds?
Exciting news is on the horizon for our beloved pets. The long-awaited Valley fever vaccine, a significant step in protecting our dogs, is nearing completion. As a naturally curious person, I delved into the latest research to bring you this reassuring update.
Valley fever, or coccidioidomycosis, is a respiratory infection in dogs and humans caused by inhaling fungal spores from the soil. This fungus thrives in desert climates and is prevalent in the southwestern United States, northwestern Mexico and Central and South America.
An estimated $60 million per year is spent treating Valley fever in dogs. The economic impact of Valley fever in humans far exceeds that of dogs. A 2021 University of Arizona Health Sciences study estimated total lifetime costs at $736 million for 10,359 Valley fever patients diagnosed in Arizona in 2019.
Several years ago, investigators at the UA created delta-cps1. This is a mutant strain of Valley fever fungus that is missing a large gene. Delta-cps1 does not cause disease in several strains of mice, including those with no lymphocytes and mice that have had their bone marrow suppressed by chemotherapy. They discovered that the delta-cps1 strain could not grow in the host (mouse) very long and mainly died off in the first week or two. This is a desirable feature of a “live” vaccine, so dogs and people don’t get sick from getting the vaccine.
Further testing with a small group of dogs has shown that the delta-cps1 vaccine holds great potential in protecting dogs from natural infection. The mice did not lie in this case! Dr. John Galgiani, the director of the UA’s Valley Fever Center for Excellence, says, “the vaccine, which we hope will be available to veterinarians within the next year, is a significant step in protecting dogs from Valley fever.”
Because of the successful trials in animals, it was announced that a human Valley fever vaccine candidate will proceed toward Phase 1 clinical trials thanks to a major investment from the National Institutes of Health. Protection at both ends of the leash could be coming our way.
While we wait for the vaccine to hit the market, here are some steps we can take to protect our hounds from contracting this sometimes-deadly infection:
Avoid activities that create large amounts of dust
Reduce digging behaviors
Prevent sniffing in rodent holes
Avoid outdoors when there are dust storms
Avoid construction areas outside
Keep dogs indoors more than outdoors
If you’re curious like me, check out the Valley Fever Center for Excellence.
Always moving forward,
Nancy
Nancy Lynberg is Operations Director of Southern Arizona Greyhound Adoption and can be reached at nancy@sagreys.org.