Can only horses get the horse flu?

Answer 1

Equine Influenza is a highly contageous viral disease of horses. It affects the respiratory system and can lead to secondary bacterial infections such as pneumonia due to the way it breaks down the defenses of the respiratory tract. Symptoms include: sudden onset of a high fever, coughing, nasal discharge that starts clear but may become colored if a secondary bacterial infection develops, mild swelling of the lymph nodes between the jaws. Influenza is a serious concern because of the risk of secondary bacterial pneumonia which may be fatal. Horses recovering from influenza should be rested for 1 week for every day that they have a fever due to the increased risk of secondary infections.

Answer 2

Equine influenza is a virus that attacts the horse's respritory system. Responsible horse owners make sure that their horses are vaccinated every year. If contracted, this flu could possibly kill the horse. It can also turn into a bacterial infection which will need to be treated with antibiotics.

Vaccinating your horse on a regular basis will almost eliminate the chances that your horse will get this virus. There are other things you can do to keep your horse from getting sick and spreading it to other horses. When away from home do not let your horse drink from a communal water trough. Always bring your own bucket and don't let other horses drink from your horse's bucket. They now have collapsable buckets that are perfect for travel or trail rides. Also don't swap bits with other horses. These common sense tips can keep your equine friend healthy and happy.

Answer 3

So far the answer is no. The equine influenza virus appears to be very closely adapted to horses, to the point that it is not infective to humans or most other species. It was, however, able to infect greyhounds, at which point the virus picked up a mutation and then spread through the dog population.

Answer 4

no