COLUMNS
May 2, 2009 The federal government has declared a public health emergency in our country due to the very real threat of a strain of influenza type A called swine flu.
More than one hundred confirmed cases have been reported in the U.S. – most of those are in Texas and New York, although about a dozen states have at least one.
Stores report that items such as hand sanitizer are flying off the shelves.
As we all fear that we might be exposed, pet owners are wondering if dogs and cats could become infected with the virus.
The ASPCA in New York issued a press release this week stating that the current outbreak of swine flu in humans seems to present very little risk that our pets could catch it.
The current flu strain seems to be a mixture of three different types – swine flu, avian (or bird) flu and human influenza virus.
The only known method by which it is transmitted has been human-to-human, not animal-to-human.
In fact, although it's called "swine flu", there is no report of any pigs being infected by it – which means you cannot catch it from eating pork or pork products.
The ASPCA does caution owners of pet pigs, such as potbellied pigs, that they might want to have their healthy animals innoculated with the recommended Influenza type A vaccine available from their veterinarians.
Experts also suggest keeping any pet pigs in a protected environment where they will not come into contact with humans who may infect them.
It's also a good idea to limit any pet's contact with strangers but not because your cat or dog could itself become infected with a human flu virus. Instead, the virus could hitch a ride on your pet's fur, so that when you touch your pet you can be infected.
To learn more about swine flu and your pet, visit the ASPCA website at ASPCA.org.
The American Veterinary Medical Association has posted an article of FAQs about swine flu at AVMA.org.
For general information about swine flu in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control website at CDC.org has some excellent information.
Whether it's the threat of a deadly virus or just general health care, your best friend depends on you to protect it and keep it safe, when you're speaking of pets.
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