http://www.news.com.au/world/dogs-diagn ... 5805177799


TWO dogs in Beijing have tested positive for swine flu in the second case of animals catching the disease in China along with pigs in the northeast.

The A(H1N1) virus detected in the dogs is 99 per cent identical to the one circulating in humans, the state-run Beijing Times reported today, quoting China's agriculture ministry.

The news comes 10 days after four pigs in China's Heilongjiang province were diagnosed with the virus, which specialists said might have been caught from humans, the report said.

Countries including the US, Canada and Chile have already reported cases of animals being infected with the A(H1N1) virus.

A cat in the US state of Iowa was diagnosed with swine flu at the beginning of the month in the first known case in the world of the new pandemic strain spreading to the feline population.

The World Health Organisation has called for closer monitoring of farm workers and animals for influenza A viruses following the reported cases.

Citing an official at the Beijing municipal agriculture bureau, the report said the dogs probably contracted the virus from human sufferers who were in close contact with the canines.

"Dogs can infect nearby dogs after they catch A(H1N1) flu," the unidentified official was quoted as saying.

The agriculture ministry and the Beijing agriculture bureau were not immediately available for comment.


I motion we rename it from Swine Flu to Captain Tripps. Just saying.

Shut. Down. EVERYTHING!

So what? I know, it's "aaargh swine flu pandemia we're all gonna die" and all that stuff, but it ain't so bad as people say. We've got medicine for it, and good medicine for all that matters. Heck, I had the flu and it is no big deal.

Two words:
Don't panic.

Now we need to give vaccines to all the pets in the world. Brilliant.

Swine flu doesn't ♥♥♥♥ kill for ♥♥♥♥'s sake. You have better chances of dying from regular flu.

Maybe to us but I bet it could kill my pet bird.

How the bloody hell would your pet bird catch swine flu?

Calm down, it wont kill us.
So far maybe 500 people were killed.
But reg flu kills 3000 a year.
ANd car crashes, cancer kills even more.

Err, car crashes don't qualify as natural causes of death. But anyway, aren't those the leading cause of death in civilized societies?

It has shown the potential to go from one species to another. I think its possible.


I'm personally not panicked, I'm thinking 'Ugh, another complication'.

Not my point. How would it come into contact with an infected animal?

That assumes you (or someone in your family) are (is) getting it first.

I feel sick right now, who knows?

I don't have to be the sick one either, I usually bring my pet outside.
I also buy products for my pet. Anyone who is sick during production could get germs on them, or even the salespeople.
There are other birds at this store I go to, and anyone can handle them. Very possible they could get sick of some random person walks in, and even if I don't bring my pet with me I could catch it from the birds.

It IS a possibility.

Everyone, if you want to live, you'll hire a private plane, fly over Africa, and paradrop into Madagascar. It's the only remaining safe haven, they've been closed up since the whole bird flu thing.