DOG FLU may pose new threat to humans

While the world is still reeling from the Covid-19 pandemic, scientists have been gathering information on a possible new threat to human health.

‘Dog flu’ or H3N2 to give it its proper name is a slowly evolving mutant form of avian flu, with scientists think could one day infect the human race, writes The Daily Mail today, Tuesday, April 25.

The virus, which was discovered in dogs nearly 20 years ago, can cause your pet to get a runny nose and a cough and in some cases prove fatal.

But research done by scientists in China has shown that the same pathogen may one day find humans will be susceptible to it.

Tests have indicated that the latest strain of the virus is better able to identify human cell receptors than it was 10 years ago.

Researchers at the China Agricultural University in Beijing, said, ‘Our results showed that canines may serve as intermediates for the adaptation of avian influenza viruses to humans.’

As part of the study, six dogs were infected with H3N2 strains, all the dogs suffered mild symptoms.

Although no one has ever contracted the canine flu virus, the study shows the threat of a ‘longer-term pandemic potential’ to humans.

University of Cambridge Professor James Wood commented, ‘The changes in the canine virus apparently are making it better adapted to transmit within mammals, as you might expect after such a long period in dogs.

‘The virus does not seem to pose particularly worrying health threats to dogs. One might be more concerned about the longer-term pandemic potential in other species such as humans.’

Virologist Ian Jones, a professor at the University of Reading, confirmed that the virus is ‘creeping’ towards being able to infect humans. He concluded ‘At the moment I judge this data warrants attention but that the case for a “threat” is not clear.’

H3N2 is different to the ‘bird flu’ H5N1 strain, which caused panic around the world following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Only one case of a British person with H5N1 has been reported since it began spreading in October 2021. Last year, Alan Gosling caught the virus from ducks which lived inside his home.