Your Pet And H1N1

How possible is it to for you to get the H1N1 virus from your pet? We do know humans can pass the virus on to their pet as reported recently in Iowa. Now there are reports of a case of H1N1 being reported of a cat having the virus. Being health conscious is the smart way for anyone. The first step in investing in staying healthy is to take your pet to the vet for a full examination. We who are diligent about staying up to par with our yearly physicals do so because we want to know they everything is working the way it should be. Why would we not do the same for our pets?

However there is only 1 case being reported in Iowa of a cat having the H1N1. Physicians are split on the actually level of concern pet owners should have of their pet becoming infected. Some feel there is a relatively low chance, while others feel it is a reason for a concern.

Influenza A(H1N1) is a subtype of flu virus. It is of the common causes of flu in humans. Some subtypes can be found in animals such as birds, dogs, pigs, and cats as recently reported. The subtype has been responsible for some major flu pandemics.

Every time I hear of another case of H1N1 a chill goes down my spine. What is unpredictable about the virus is the healthy children who have been reported as having H1N1. So is Swine Flu and H1N1 the same strain? Is the media now using the terms interchangeably? At first when I heard H1N1 I thought is this something new? No. It is the medical terminology for Swine Flu.

SYMPTOMS OF SWINE FLU

• high fever
• cough
• runny nose 
• sore throat
• body aches
• headache
• cold chills
• fatigue or tiredness
• diarrhea and/or vomiting

*If you do have cause for concern please see your doctor.

The amount of vaccine is another concern in regard to H1N1 (Swine Flu). The media states the shortage of enough vaccine for individuals.  Journalist have put a certain amount of focus on the subject matter of not enough vaccine for everyone.  Do you believe everything the media say? Do you think the media oversensationalize news for the sake of ratings?