The news this week that a cat in Iowa had come down with a case of H1N1 swine flu likely had a lot of pet owners worried about their own pets, but Canadian vets assure that the risk of swine flu infecting your pet is very low.
The 13-year-old Iowa kitty apparently caught the flu from one of its sick owners, but has since recovered, along with its owners.
Vets say while it's possible for Fluffy or Fido to pick up the flu from humans, it just doesn't happen very often.
The main reason is that animals and pets have different respiratory systems. To get a little more technical about it, they have different receptors on their cells, and flu viruses that have adapted to spreading well between humans just don't seem to infect the cells of other species very well.
The Iowa cat is the first known house pet to catch swine flu, though the virus has been diagnosed in pig herds and turkey herds. That's not altogether surprising given that genetic ananlysis of H1N1 have suggested the virus has the DNA components of swine flu, bird flu, and human flu strains.
While H1N1 can infect pigs and birds, pet birds and pot-bellied pigs have remained so far untouched by H1N1, with no cases reported. Nor have there been any cases of swine flu reported in dogs, bunnies or rodents.
The one pet species that is at risk of H1N1 is ferrets. Ferrets are very susceptible to influenza, including human strains. Again, it goes back to their cell receptors, which are remarkably like those of humans. That's part of the reason why ferrets are considered the best animal model for studying flu transmission.
There have been a number of reported cases of H1N1 flu in ferrets and those cases will likely continue to rise. But for other animals, the likelihood of the family pet becoming ill with swine flu are low. If they were high, we would have seen a lot more cases by now, given how many humans have been infected.
'Dog flu' a bigger threat
As Dr. Scott Weese mentions on the "Worms and Germs" blog, run by the Ontario Veterinary College and the City of Hamilton Public Health Department: "Thousands of pets have presumably been exposed to owners infected with H1N1, with few apparent problems."
For dogs, a more pressing threat is a flu called canine flu, or H3N8. "Dog flu" emerged a few years ago after having drifted from a flu strain that infected horses. While it can sicken dogs, there is no evidence it can infect humans.
But Dr. Weese notes that even dog flu should not be a huge worry for dog owners. There have been few, if any, cases in Canada, and the dogs that appear to be most at risk live in densely-populated, stressful environments like animal shelters and racing greyhound facilities.
There is now a vaccine against H3N8 for dogs, but Weese notes, "In an otherwise healthy dog that is not in a high risk environment (e.g. kennel, shelter, greyhound racetrack), it's questionable whether vaccination is needed."
The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association advises that pet owners can keep their pets healthy even when they themselves are infected with the flu by taking these precautions:
- washing hands thoroughly particularly before handling the pet or preparing food;
- covering coughs and sneezes;
- avoiding close contact with the pet during the course of illness.
- avoiding sharing beds or even furniture with pets while you're sick with flu.
Pet owners should monitor their pets' health and consult a veterinarian if their pet is showing any signs of illness, the CVMA recommends. Common signs of flu infection in pets include:
- not eating or drinking
- not playing as usual
- sometimes coughing and sneezing
- some may develop a fever
Just as with swine flu in humans, most animals recover easily from flu, with most symptoms mild. It's usually treated by keeping the pet well-hydrated and rested. Sometimes medication is given to make the animal more comfortable, while antibiotics might also be prescribed to treat any secondary bacterial infections.
