kennel cough

noun

ken·​nel cough ˈken-ᵊl- How to pronounce kennel cough (audio)
: tracheobronchitis of dogs or cats
The flu initially mimics "kennel cough," a common disease usually caused by Bordetella bronchiseptica, a bacterium related to the one that causes whooping cough in children.Donald G. McNeil Jr., The New York Times
While the condition is frequently the result of infection with multiple agents, Bordatella can cause the disease without the accompanying participation of other organisms. Of viruses that may cause kennel cough, two are especially prominent: canine parainfluenza virus … which usually produces a mild to moderately severe case of the disease, and canine adenovirus-2 … which may cause a severe case that, in many instances, will progress to pneumonia.Tom Ewing, Dog Watch

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Cite this Entry

“Kennel cough.” Merriam-Webster.com Medical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/kennel%20cough. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

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