Pet owners in Los Angeles County are being warned about the arrival of highly contagious canine influenza in the area after several infected dogs were imported from Asia. The highly contagious virus H3N2, causes the dogs to have a persistent cough which can last 10 to 21 days. In very rare cases, cats can also be infected by the virus.

Sick dogs with infection can also have fever, nasal discharge, lethargy and also anorexia, the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services said in a notice sent out on Monday. The city said that an animal rescue group imported multiple sick dogs from Asia, prompting the outbreak of infection.

The virus was identified in the March after imported dogs were seen by a veterinarian locally, as per the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

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Thirty-four dogs had been sickened as of 7th April, the county said. All of the infected dogs were under quarantine or isolation in 10 separate locations around the county. Most of the dogs have recovered.

Meanwhile, the local veterinarians have been warning pet owners. They specifically said that one dog imported from China first tested positive for the virus in March.

The canine flu was first reported in U.S. in the year 2015, when more than 1,000 dogs in the Chicago area were sickened. The first instance of the H3N2 flu worldwide was in South Korea in the year 2006.

Dogs that frequently interact with the other dogs should be vaccinated against the flu, the county recommends. The vaccine became available in the year 2015, after the cases of flu were detected in Orange and L.A. counties.

If your dog gets sick with the infection, keep it away from other pets. Canine influenza cannot make humans sick, said the county health department.

Mrudula Duddempudi.