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Experts: NY dog is 1st in nation with swine flu

By JIM FITZGERALD, The Associated Press Updated 8:20 AM Thursday, December 24, 2009

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — A dog in suburban New York is the first in the nation confirmed to be carrying the same strain of swine flu that is infecting humans, experts said Tuesday.

The 13-year-old mixed breed male, which is recovering, apparently caught the virus from his owner. But Michael San Filippo, a spokesman for the American Veterinary Medical Association, said there's no evidence that the flu strain can be transmitted from a pet to a person.

"In theory it could happen, but so far it's really looking like a dead end in pets," he said.

Dr. Anne Schuchat of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday that animals can carry and spread flu viruses, but such cases are rare and people should not be afraid to enjoy their pets.

The CDC says swine flu is waning among humans. It said infections were widespread in 11 states, down from 48 in late October.

San Filippo said the diagnosis of the 2009 H1N1 virus was confirmed at two labs, including Iowa State University's.

The dog, suffering breathing problems, was taken to the Katonah Bedford Veterinary Center in Bedford Hills, N.Y., on Dec. 13.

The medical director there, David Sachs, said he had the dog tested for swine flu because its owner previously had the virus. The practice would not identify the owner or give the dog's name and Sachs said the owner had decided against speaking with reporters.

The dog came in for a checkup Tuesday and is "getting back to his old self" but has not fully recovered, said veterinarian Julie Steffens.

Among pets, cats and ferrets have previously been found to catch the swine flu strains from humans, and at least one cat and one ferret have died, San Filippo said.

He said the veterinary association is recommending that people with ailing pets wash their hands often. If swine flu is suspected in either owner or pet, he said, "isolate yourselves from each other, which we realize is only possible to some degree."

Ann Hohenhaus, spokeswoman for the Animal Medical Center in New York, said if a pet or an owner is sick, "Don't play kissyface with your dog or your cat or your ferret. You wouldn't with your kids if you were sick, so don't do it with your pet."

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Associated Press Medical Writer Marilynn Marchione contributed to this report.

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December 22, 2009 10:11 PM EST

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