Russ Daly: Is it flu season for animals too?
- "Of our domestic animals, it’s pigs that most often encounter influenza — something we’ve recognized for decades. For much of that history, we considered swine influenza to be very much a seasonal disease. I remember being called out to examine groups of pigs in late fall and winter that suddenly went off feed and began coughing. The “barking” cough characteristic of a swine influenza outbreak made you wonder if the barn was filled with dogs instead of pigs! In most cases, these outbreaks would resolve themselves after a few days."
- "Today, swine influenza paints a different picture. Those seasonal outbreaks of yesteryear typically occurred in pigs spending time outdoors."