# Astonishing Flu Carriers 10 Animals That Carry Illness, From Swine Flu to Whale Flu By wang fangqing/ Frances Wang | Published 2009-04-28 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/swine-flu-pandemic References: [dsc.discovery](http://dsc.discovery.com/news/top-10/top-10-flu-animals-02.html) Aside from swine flu and avian flu, which are carried by pigs and birds respectively, other animals can also be threatening when it comes to epidemics. Pet lovers, listen up! The dog is one of the top 10 carriers of illness. The case can be dated back to 2004, when racing greyhounds were reported to the Center of Disease Control because of an unknown respiratory illness, which was actually caused by the equine influenza A H3N8 virus. Technically, the virus can jump from horses, another listed animal, to dogs, then from dogs to humans, but scientists say the possibility can be ignored because the horrified moment of transfer needs the “right person, the right place and the right animal.” The most incredible animal in the list is the whale, which could also suffer from the flu by catching germs from bird’s discharge. But as in the dog’s case, the chance of human getting the “whale flu” is extremely low, because hey, how likely are you to play with an infected whale? Since it’s on everyone radar, you can also check out more information on Swine Flu in the articles below. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.4/10 - Popularity: 45% | Activity: 18% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Health](https://www.trendhunter.com/health) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Zoonotic Transmission:** The possibility of viruses jumping from animals to humans presents opportunities for research and development of innovative prevention and control strategies. - **Animal-related Epidemics:** Increasing awareness of animals as carriers of illness creates opportunities for industries to develop products and services focused on animal health and disease prevention. - **Cross-species Influenza:** Understanding the transmission of influenza viruses between different species opens up possibilities for the development of targeted vaccines and treatment options. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Veterinary Care:** The veterinary care industry can capitalize on the increasing need for animal health services and research into zoonotic diseases. - **Pharmaceuticals:** Pharmaceutical companies have the opportunity to develop innovative vaccines and treatments for cross-species influenza and zoonotic diseases. - **Public Health:** Government agencies and public health organizations can invest in research and strategies to mitigate the risks of animal-related epidemics and zoonotic transmission. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Ethical Animal Transport Initiatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/qatar-airways-cargo.md) - [Educational Plush Clips](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/plagues-from-history-backpack-clips.md) - [Animal Casting Directories](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/animalsfilm.md) - [Disinfecting Pet Washes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/zap-kennel-wash.md) - [Hygienic Hippo Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/confessions-of-moo-deng.md) - [Animal-Tracking Plush Toys](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fahlo.md) - [Pet Health Trackers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/snoutly.md) - [Interactive Transparency Tracking Tools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/transparency-tracking-tool.md) - [Swine-Centric Cooling Pads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cooling-pad.md)