Can you catch flu from your DOG? Scientists warn two strains of influenza could mix and form a dangerous strain spread by man’s best friend
- Researchers found canine flu can mix with bird and swine flu to be contagious
- Regular canine flu can kill dogs and cats but the danger to humans is unclear
- Dr Daesub Song warned surveillance of dog viruses should be improved
You’ve probably heard of bird flu, swine flu and even camel flu.
But now the virus could spread to people from somewhere else – their pet dogs.
A study has found types of flu which can spread between animals but not to humans may actually be able to mutate and jump from canines or cats to people.
And because we won’t have experienced viruses like it before, they have the potential to spread quickly and uncontrollably.
Scientists warned people should keep a closer eye on dogs and other mammals we live close to in case of ‘interspecies transmission’ and even warned of a ‘pandemic’.
Strains of already-existing dog flu could combine with swine or bird flu to create a more contagious virus which could spread to humans, researchers said (stock image)
Researchers at Korea University in South Korea did a 10-year study to watch for strains of flu jumping between animals.
What they found adds to other research by scientists at Mount Sinai University in New York, published last year.
They discovered swine flu, which is currently ravaging pig farms in China and leaving huge amounts of meat unusable, and bird flu could spread to dogs.
And, in the dogs, it could mix with another strain of the viral illness which would make it much more likely to spread to people, who would be defenceless against it because it’s so new.
‘Until now, dogs were considered neglected hosts in the field of flu research,’ said Dr Daesub Song.
‘However, after the first report of interspecies transmission, surveillance of flu viruses from companion animals should be further strengthened.’
Dr Song and his team found bird flu or swine flu could be caught by dogs and mix together to mutate into a new strain of canine influenza called CIVmv.
CIVmv was found to be highly infectious to ferrets when passed on by dogs, the scientists found, suggesting it is more likely to be contagious for humans.
The parts of cells which viruses bind to are similar in ferrets and humans, so they are considered the best way of testing how the pathogens will affect people.
Cats can already catch canine flu, despite its name, and both animals spend huge amounts of time in close contact with humans, particularly in the Western world.
When infected with the new strain, animals suffered from congested airways, coughing, runny eyes, sneezing, tiredness and reduced appetite.
Canine flu can be deadly – it only kills a small percentage of dogs which catch it, but Dr Song said an outbreak he studied at an animal shelter killed 40 per cent of cats.
This strain of dog flu is expected to be more contagious but it isn’t clear whether it will be more deadly for the animals.
Dr Song added: ‘Pre-existing CIV may recombine or reassort with human influenza viruses and give rise to novel viruses that could in turn lead to unique pandemics.’
Immune resistance to flu, and the ability to get over it quickly, is based on exposure to the virus or similar strains in the past.
For example, if someone catches a strain of the flu they’ve already had there is a good chance they won’t become ill from it.
And because of the way viruses mutate over time, even exposure to an earlier version of a different virus could make someone more resistant to it.
Because of this, if people caught a combination of dog and bird or swine flu like nothing they had ever encountered before, they could be particularly vulnerable, the researchers said.
Dr Song will reveal his research at a talk in Belfast in April. The team are working on a vaccine but the virus is fast-mutating, making this a difficult task.