Can The Flu Be Spread To Animals

Influenza Infection in Animals

Influenza is a respiratory illness that is common to humans and a limited number of animal species – namely domestic and wild birds, pigs, wild aquatic mammals such every bit seals and whales, minks, and farmed carnivores. Amid the three types of flu viruses, type A virus is the most important as far as cross-species infections are concerned.

Epitome Credit: Iryna Imago / Shutterstock.com

Although in that location is a certain degree of host-specificity amongst influenza viruses, barriers between species are past no means accented. It is, thus, of utter well-nigh importance to sympathize the zoonotic potential of sure animal flu viruses, as well as the office of animals in the generation of novel human flu viruses. Appreciation of the zoonotic nature of influenza viruses and acceptable surveillance of animal populations are pivotal steps in tackling futurity flu pandemics.

Examples of zoonotic influenza

Influenza viruses were initially isolated from pigs in the United states in the early 1930s. Since and so, these viruses have remained i of the most ofttimes encountered swine respiratory diseases. The isolates were of the H1N1 subtype, and their characterization followed the deadly Spanish flu in 1918. To this day, the question remains open as to whether these viruses showtime appeared in people and then spread to pigs, or vice versa.

In pigs, influenza most commonly presents in the form of explosive outbreaks of acute respiratory disease characterized past fever, languor, nasal and ocular belch, coughing, dyspnea, and loss of appetite. The affliction lasts only for a week, usually with full recovery. Although mortality is low, swine influenza may crusade an economic loss due to delayed weight gain.

The nature of flu virus infections in birds is reliant upon two major factors including the species of the affected bird and the pathogenicity of the virus. The causative viruses are of the H5 and H7 subtypes. The clinical affliction develops in chickens and turkeys, while infections in ducks and nigh other waterfowl are subclinical and therefore do non present with any apparent symptoms.

Lethargy, loss of appetite, weight loss, ruffled feathers, and reductions in egg production are symptoms that follow infection with avian influenza of relatively low pathogenicity, making the diagnosis in the field difficult. On the other mitt, highly virulent strains cause fatal systemic illness, which is otherwise known every bit fowl plague. Fowl plague can be characterized past edema, hemorrhages, and infection of the fundamental nervous organisation.

Equine influenza is caused past 2 subtypes of flu A viruses including H7N7 and H3N8. Clinical signs of these viruses include farthermost fever, nasal discharge, and a harsh dry out cough. Rarely, pneumonia in young foals and donkeys, besides equally encephalitis in horses tin can develop.

In 2004, cases of an unknown respiratory illness in dogs started to emerge. An investigation showed that the disease was acquired by equine influenza A H3N8 virus, which led experts to believe that it "jumped" from horses. Symptoms are too similar to equine influenza, and approximately fourscore% of infected dogs have a mild grade of the affliction.

Transmission from animals to people

Wild birds represent the main natural reservoir for all subtypes of influenza A viruses and are considered as a source of influenza A viruses in all other animals. In addition to swine influenza viruses, pigs tin exist infected with both human and avian influenza viruses.

Considering of such susceptibility to the variety of influenza viruses, pigs are often considered as intermediary hosts or mixing vessels. To this end, pigs can be infected with flu viruses from different species at the same time, thus creating a milieu for the genes of these viruses to mix and generate a new virus. This event is called reassortment.

Such new virus could adapt to the mammalian host and spread from person to person, simply its surface proteins of hemagglutinin and neuraminidase would not be previously seen in influenza viruses that infect humans. This type of abrupt and major change in the influenza A viruses is known as antigenic shift, and it tin effect in a worldwide influenza pandemic.

How do viruses jump from animals to humans? - Ben Longdon

Highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) virus, which is oft referred to as HPAI H5N1, is a virus that occurs predominantly in birds. H5N1 transmits hands in birds and can be deadly to them, especially to domestic poultry. Even though they are relatively rare, sporadic human infections with this virus have occurred and acquired significant morbidity and bloodshed. Although there is no evidence suggesting efficient human being-to-human manual of HPAI H5N1, researching this virus is 1 of the top priorities.

Thus far, at that place is no evidence of canine influenza virus transmission from dogs to people and no reported human infections. Equally close contact between animals, stress, environmental and meteorological factors accept been shown to contribute to influenza virus spread, adequate public wellness measures and illness awareness remain disquisitional.

References

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/near/viruses/transmission.htm
http://www.who.int/zoonoses/diseases/animal_influenza/en/
http://www.oie.int/fileadmin/Home/eng/Health_standards/tahm/2.05.07_EQ_INF.pdf
http://www.vetmed.wisc.edu/pbs/zoonoses/influenza/influenzaindex.html
http://world wide web.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S0074-02762013000500548&script=sci_arttext
Nicholson KG, Webster RG, Hay AJ. Textbook of Influenza. Blackwell Scientific discipline, Oxford, 1998.

Citations

Please apply one of the following formats to cite this commodity in your essay, paper or report:

APA

Meštrović, Tomislav. (2021, March xix). Flu Infection in Animals. News-Medical. Retrieved on June 06, 2022 from https://www.news-medical.internet/health/Influenza-Infection-in-Animals.aspx.
MLA

Meštrović, Tomislav. "Influenza Infection in Animals". News-Medical. 06 June 2022. <https://www.news-medical.cyberspace/health/Flu-Infection-in-Animals.aspx>.
Chicago

Meštrović, Tomislav. "Influenza Infection in Animals". News-Medical. https://www.news-medical.net/health/Flu-Infection-in-Animals.aspx. (accessed June 06, 2022).
Harvard

Meštrović, Tomislav. 2021. Influenza Infection in Animals. News-Medical, viewed 06 June 2022, https://world wide web.news-medical.net/health/Flu-Infection-in-Animals.aspx.