How swine flu can affect pets
By ALEXANDER WOLF HOSKINGOctober 05, 2009
Flu strains tend to be species specific and must mutate in order to infect a new species of animal. Unless you have a pet pig, your pets, at the present time and barring further mutation of the virus, are safe from the swine flu.
Swine influenza is a disease that only affects pigs, the virus currently afflicting humans is actually a separate strain that is being referred to as swine flu. Swine influenza does not usually affect humans, however the strain has mutated meaning transition from human to human is now occurring. Unless the virus mutates again all non-swine animals will not become affected.
There are certain groups of people who are more at risk that others. People with: chronic lung, liver and kidney disease; chronic neurological diseases such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's; suppressed immune systems or those who have had treatments for asthma in the last three years; diabetes, pregnant women, children under five years of age, or the elderly over 65.
The symptoms of swine flu are similar to ordinary seasonal influenza symptoms. They include a raised temperature, fatigue, lack of appetite, coughing, runny nose, sore throat, nausea and vomiting. Swine flu spreads the same way as ordinary colds and flu. If someone coughs or sneezes and they do not cover his mouth, these droplets can spread easily.
The virus can also survive for a few hours on hands and hard surfaces, so make sure to follow good hand hygiene and clean hard surfaces frequently.
The vast majority of cases reported so far have been mild and similar to ordinary seasonal flu. Only a small number of cases have resulted in serious health problems and an even smaller number of cases resulted in death. Anti viral medications are available, and the government are stockpiling doses, however experts believe mass vaccination is unnecessary and can even be detrimental, as the virus could adapt to the treatment and mutate again into a strain resilient to the drugs.
