H1N1 or Swine Flu Virus

Image of swine.

The H1N1 or swine flu epidemic has many people concerned. It certainly holds the potential for severe, worldwide disease in humans. Currently, most cases in the U.S. have not been as serious as in other countries. Flu viruses commonly mutate though, and even a small mutation could increase the pathogenicity to critical levels for both animals and people.
Swine influenza virus has been found worldwide in birds, including chickens and waterfowl, humans, and pigs. It does not cause disease in dogs and cats. People that own pet pigs, including pot-bellied pigs should be concerned. As of May 2009, there have been no reports of disease in pigs in the U.S. as a result of the current outbreak, but there is one report of a person who vacationed in Mexico, returned home to their swine farm in Canada, where their pigs developed flu symptoms.

Swine influenza is a highly contagious disease spread by direct contact, airborne respiratory secretions, contaminated objects, or people moving between swine herds. Bringing home a new pig is a common cause of disease outbreak, which usually happens in one to three days. Infected pigs may shed virus for seven to ten days. A carrier state may exist for up to three months. Recovery from disease can cause a limited amount of immunity.

The influenza virus in pigs causes high levels of illness but low death rates. Symptoms include coughing, nasal discharge, labored breathing, eye discharge, fever, poor appetite, weight loss, lethargy, and abortion. Most affected pigs recover without complications in five to seven days. Some pigs may develop secondary bacterial pneumonia which increases the mortality rate.

The treatment is supportive: medications to reduce the fever, and keeping them clean and warm. Pigs with more severe disease may need IV fluids and antibiotics.There are several commercial vaccines available for influenza in swine, but none of the current vaccines are effective for this type of influenza. The virus is easily killed by disinfectants.

The best method to try to prevent influenza in your pet pig is to use management practices to decrease the chance the pig will be exposed: limiting visitors, quarantining new pigs, and disinfecting things that could be contaminated.

In summary, there are several different types of influenza viruses. Human influenza, avian flu and swine flu viruses are all closely related; each has the potential to infect one of the other species, sometimes with devastating results. This H1N1 virus from swine has mutated to make it easier to infect people. With more time we will see if it becomes more virulent in people and how significant it is in pigs.

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Office Hours

Our Regular Schedule

Monday:

7:30 am-5:30 pm

Tuesday:

7:30 am-5:30 pm

Wednesday:

7:30 am-5:30 pm

Thursday:

7:30 am-5:30 pm

Friday:

7:30 am-5:30 pm

Saturday:

Open 1st & 3rd Saturdays of each month. Closed 2nd & 4th Saturdays of each month.

8:00 am-2:00 pm

Sunday:

Closed

Testimonials

Read What Our Clients Say

  • "We have a new 8 week Boston Terrier that we took to Springfield Vet yesterday for the first time. Absolutely pleased with the service, attitudes and genuine care shown to our little boy. The whole team was so professional, but took time to talk to you and explain everything. Dr Cynthia Wiseman is so wonderful, she sat in the floor did Logan's exam and played with him. What bedside manners. I will continue to use them, I highly recommend them to anyone looking for a caring and professional vet."
    Roi W.
  • "We absolutely love this vet clinic and the staff! The facilities are modern and always clean. Everyone is always so friendly and genuinely care for you and your animal- they make you feel as if you are apart of their family.

    Our boy, Samson, is a Rottie (and quite the problem child). We are usually in the clinic almost every other month for something and they are always so helpful and show great care and love for our pup! We are very picky/protective puppy parents, so we were very grateful to have found both Dr. Cynthia and Dr. Heath shortly after getting Samson.

    We have definitely found our "home" in the vet world, and would highly recommend to anyone who is currently looking!"
    Machaelie H.
  • "I have taken my dog here since he was a puppy. The staff are so friendly and caring, a very clean place and they always get us in quickly. When we come in no one passes us without greeting my dog and I and they're never in a rush to get us out of there."
    ShealynR.
  • "We decided to start taking our new kitty here this past fall and we love it! He was not on his best behavior (to say the least) for his first appointment, and the staff was so patient and was still able to safely run his bloodwork and give him his vaccinations. Every service has been reasonably priced, and they did everything they possibly could to make sure that our little guy was off to a healthy start after we adopted him. What I love is that they really seem to focus on the small details, too, like trimming our cat's nails after remembering that I had expressed interest in doing so at a previous appointment, or supplementing his flea treatment with something to safely speed up the process. We will definitely keep coming here as long as we live in Springfield!"
    Megan J.
  • "I have been taking my dog to SVC since 2012 and when I adopted my cat in 2015. I have never had a bad experience. We have seen Drs. Heath & Cynthia Wiseman and I love them both. Always professional, always take their time when looking my pets over, asking questions, and answering mine."
    Katherine P.
  • "We’ve been taking our Moose there for a few years now. After swallowing a toy when he was a puppy, getting fixed, having surgery on his eyelids a couple times, and most recently having a breed specific illness; I can I say I would recommend everyone to go here. They’ve taken the best care of our boy time and time again and went above and beyond."
    Ashley J.
  • "We’ve been taking our Moose there for a few years now. After swallowing a toy when he was a puppy, getting fixed, having surgery on his eyelids a couple times, and most recently having a breed specific illness; I can I say I would recommend everyone to go here. They’ve taken the best care of our boy time and time again and went above and beyond."
    Ashley J.
  • "Pleasant staff.,very informative. Great environment for your pets, including own room for cats to play so as they aren't stressed out."
    Cheryl K.
  • "Dr. Cynthia Wiseman has helped my little Shiba dog with chronic hip problems tremendously with consistent acupuncture therapy! So thankful for this practice and the high quality of care they offer my pets!"
    Lacey M.