With H1N1 reported in dogs, virus found in six separate species

Reports of two dogs in China testing positive for the H1N1 swine flu virus mark the sixth known species where the troublesome virus has been found and highlight the unusual nature of this unpredictable bug.

China's Xinhua News Agency reported that two dogs tested positive for the H1N1 swine flu virus. If confirmed, the finding would represent the sixth known species where the H1N1 virus has been spotted. Calling the H1N1 virus "swine flu" is likely an inaccurate label, as the virus emerged as a ready mix of swine, avian, and human genetic ingredients - making it an immediately dangerous and unpredictable disease. It has certainly lived up to its unpredictable expression, moving from one species to another and back again with staggering ease. The H1N1 swine flu pandemic made its appearance in April 2009 and is already present in humans, pigs, multiple species of wild and domestic birds, ferrets, cats, and now dogs. In the U.S., at least one cat has died from H1N1 swine flu exposure - and there are three known cases of feline H1N1 infections in the U.S. Chinese health authorities said that the canine cases pose no threat to humans. While they acknowledged the virus can be transmitted from dogs to people, they said there is no evidence the pandemic is being further spread by pets. Too little is known at this point to make any conclusions in either direction, but the ability of the virus to interchange species is a disturbing reflection of the ongoing genetic dice it is rolling.