The Five Most Common Animal Flu

August 19, 2021 at 11:04 PM EDT

By WeatherBug's Brandon Bush

Humans aren’t the only ones that get the cough and sniffles from the flu, barnyard animals and even your pet can come down with it too.

Most of us are aware of the Swine and Avian flus, but there are several others that may catch you, your pet or farmers off guard.

The Influenza virus comes in two types: A and B. The A virus is natively spread between animals such as birds, pigs and dogs while the B virus is spread amongst humans, though humans can contract the A virus in certain cases.

Here’s a breakdown of the most common Influenza A viruses:

Swine Flu –While this type of flu is very different from those that infect people, there have been cases of human outbreaks such as 2009s H1N1 epidemic. The pig’s symptoms are very similar to that of the human-borne illness with fevers, sore throats, headaches, shortness of breath and chills among others.

Avian Flu – The Avian Flu, or Bird Flu, is a naturally occurring virus amongst aquatic bird species. It also has a high chance of infecting domestic poultry like chickens and turkeys as well as other bird and animal species. As with the swine flu, human infections are uncommon but not impossible and are more commonly seen in Asia, although there have been sporadic cases in Africa, Europe and the U.S. The virus can be passed to humans if it is inhaled from the air, or when a person touches an infected surface and then touches their eyes, nose or mouth. Human symptoms include fevers, a sore throat, muscle aches and even vomiting.
Canine Flu – Yes, your furry friend can catch the flu. The current form of the flu initially spread from horses and evolved to infect dogs. If you’re a brand-new dog owner, then the symptoms may not be apparent but they include a runny nose, lethargy, eye discharge and reduced appetite. Most dogs will recover in 2 to 3 weeks and, best of all, there are no reported cases of human-contracted canine flu.
Feline Flu – The cat flu is not a virus innate to cats. They are usually infected by pathogens from other hosts such as birds and humans. The cats are then able to spread the virus to each other. Symptoms for cats include sneezing, runny nose, loss of appetite, breathing difficulties and, in more serious cases, ulcers around the eyes. Although the flu can be transmitted from human to cat, the opposite is very uncommon. The best way to make sure you’re protected is to wash your hands with soap and water after contact with cats and their litter boxes.
Bat Flu – The Bat flu is a relatively new form that has only been seen among bat species in Central and South America. This flu is currently unable to infect humans because it lacks the proper genetic information. If the virus were to infect an animal that was capable of housing both the bat flu and human flus, then the genetic information could be traded. This would create a virus capable of infecting humans. However, this doesn’t look to be possible for the time being.

Newborn and elderly animals are at an increased risk of contracting the flu. Pet owners should make sure that all objects the animals come into contact with are thoroughly cleaned to prevent the virus from spreading.

Source: Centers For Disease Control and Prevention