People can transmit influenza virus to pets

Scientists in the United States found pets like cats and dogs can be infected with flu, according to myhealthnewsdaily.

Professor Christiane Loehr and colleagues at the School of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University (USA) conduct research to investigate the level of flu infection in dogs and cats.

Medical data show that cats have been infected with the flu virus since the 1970s and dogs have been since 2000.

They collected blood samples from cats all over the United States, and found that cats could be infected with the flu virus but could not determine the frequency of infection.

Contact with pets during colds can spread the disease

Researchers also cannot determine which source of infection is primarily because cats can be infected from humans, other cats or other animals.

However, when people transmit flu to pets, the concern is the evolution of the virus.

Viruses have the ability to modify gene codes to become more toxic and dangerous to humans.

All viruses can mutate, especially flu viruses, because they can easily transform long segments of DNA (molecules that carry coding genetic information), according to Professor Loehr.

Scientists have detected 13 cases of cats and dogs infected with H1N1 flu from humans, since 2009.

However, scientists have not yet determined whether cats and dogs can transmit human influenza viruses.

Pets with flu will have symptoms similar to humans, including difficult breathing, watery eyes, nasal discharge and fatigue.

To avoid spreading diseases to pets, health experts recommend that patients should limit contact with pets while they are infected.