Will the dog flu come? Scientists warn that a mixture of animal viruses could be passed from dogs to humans

You've probably heard of bird flu, swine flu and even camel flu.

But now, the virus could spread to people from elsewhere, to their pet dogs.

One study found that influenza types that can spread from one animal to another, but not in humans, could actually be able to mutate and pbad from canines or cats to humans.

And since we have never experienced a virus like this before, they can spread quickly and uncontrollably.

Scientists have warned that people should take a closer look at dogs and other mammals we are close to in case of "interspecific transmission" and even warned of a "pandemic".

Researchers from Korea University, South Korea, conducted a 10-year study to monitor strains of flu that jumped between animals.

What they found is in addition to other research done by scientists at Mount Sinai University in New York, published last year.

They discovered swine flu, which is currently ravaging hog farms in China and leaving huge amounts of unusable meat. Avian flu could spread to dogs.

And, in dogs, it could mix with another strain of the viral disease, which would make it much more likely to spread to people who would be defenseless against it because it was so new.

"Until now, dogs were considered neglected hosts in the field of flu research," said Dr. Song Daesub.

"However, after the first interspecific transmission report, surveillance for influenza viruses from pets should be further enhanced."

Dr. Song and his team discovered that dogs could catch bird flu or swine flu and mix to become a new strain of canine flu called CIVmv.

Scientists have discovered that CIVmv was very infectious for ferrets when it was transmitted by dogs, suggesting that it was more likely to be contagious to humans.

The parts of the cells to which the viruses bind are similar in ferrets and humans; they are therefore considered the best way to test the impact of pathogens on humans.

Cats can already catch the canine flu, despite its name, and both animals spend a lot of time in close contact with humans, especially in the western world.

When they were infected with the new strain, the animals suffered from airway congestion, coughing, discharge from the eyes, sneezing, fatigue and loss of appetite.

Canine flu can be deadly – it only kills a small percentage of the dogs that catch it, but Dr. Song said that an epidemic that he had studied in an animal shelter had killed 40% of cats.

This strain of canine flu should be more contagious, but it is unclear if it will be more lethal to animals.

Dr. Song added, "Pre-existing VICs can recombine or re-badort with human influenza viruses and give rise to new viruses that could in turn lead to unique pandemics."

Immune resistance to influenza and the ability to quickly overcome it are based on exposure to the virus or similar strains in the past.

For example, if a person is already contracting the influenza virus that they have already contracted, they may not get sick.

And because of how viruses mutate over time, even exposure to an earlier version of a different virus could make some one more resistant to this virus.

Because of this, if people caught a combination of dog flu and avian or swine flu like never before, they could be particularly vulnerable, the researchers said.

Dr. Song will unveil his research at a conference in Belfast in April. The team is working on a vaccine but the virus is mutating rapidly, making the task difficult.