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Swine Flu- could H1N1 infect your canine?
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Could swine flu jump species from a pig to your dog? As news of “Swine flu”, or Porcine Influenza A Virus subtype H1N1, has caused significant public health concern, I speculate if the H1N1 virus can transfer from swine to canine.
According to the CDC Website, there are four subtypes of Influenza virus isolated in pigs, including H1N1, H1N2, H3N2, and H3N1. H1N1 was first isolated from swine in 1930. H1N1 is the virus that has previously been reported to have transmitted from swine to people and from person to person. In 1988, Swine flu was transmitted from person to person in Wisconsin as a result of close contact between health care workers and an infected patient. According to this Reuters article, the current H1N1 virus currently under media and medial scrutiny has just been reportedly been isolated in pigs in Canada.
It is unusual for the H1N1 virus to cross species, yet epithelial cells in the swine respiratory tract contain receptors for both avian (bird) and mammalian (person, swine, other) influenza viruses, therefore they are capable of serving as hosts for multiple of subtypes of influenza viruses.
At this time, veterinary clinical virologists are not concerned about possible transmission of H1N1 to dogs. As the influenza virus is capable of rapid adaptions, it is impossible to say that canines can never potentially be infected with H1N1.
Canines are prone to influenza virus infection. See my article on Canine Influenza for further information.
For other articles on infectious diseases of animals, please see:
Strychnine poisoning used as population control for Iraqi street canines
Rabies infected dog enters NJ via Iraq
Do you know your pet's medical history?
Update- Katy Perry's possible zoonotic disease exposure via chimp urine
Katy Perry got pissed on by a chimp and did not like it
Felines of Phi Phi Island (Thailand)
Photo credit: CDC H1N1 picture
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