Just found this thread. I'm not normally an animal-kisser, but I kiss Casper all the time, mostly on her ear, as it calms her down if I've picked her up without enough warning and she's complaining. Often I miss and kiss her eye - I can see it being very easy for me to transmit a bacterial infection to her eye this way.
What about me getting something from her, and passing it back to her and so on?
I really don't think I could stop kissing her, except of course if I was sick. She loves the kisses and I do it like you would to your baby, without even thinking about it.
Can piggies catch human cold/flu virus?
Unfortunately no. In an ideal world yes but when was the last time you met a human who could actually report things accurately? I am a FIRM believer in a drastic reduction in absolutely all animal research, but there are still some things that we can't do yet. I would much rather see money spent into researching non-animal methods but the sad fact is it's not a little but a lot more expensive. If we would actually do animal research properly, I don't think there would ever be a complaint because it would be so infrequent and clearly necessary but :SIGH: humans suck.
Guinea pigs CAN catch a cold or flu virus from a human sometimes. I remember researching this extensively in the past. I am adding my response to this old thread for the sake of correct information.
The human cold is caused by a variety of different kinds of viruses….the guinea pig is only susceptible to SOME which is what causes the confusion over this issue. I am a human MD who has cared for about 20 guinea pigs over the past decade of my life…I have witnessed them catch a cold from me, but more often they do not catch my cold- it is infrequent but it can happen and so should be guarded against when you are sick.
Let me explain better, from webmd.com:
More than 200 different viruses are known to cause the common cold -- and the miserable symptoms that come with it.
The most common cold viruses include:
• Rhinoviruses -- causing 10% to 40% of colds
• Coronaviruses -- causing 20% of colds
• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) -- responsible for 10% of colds
(source: http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/cold- ... old_causes )
My past reading led me to conclude that guinea pigs are not prone to catching Rhinoviruses from humans- which constitute up to 40% of human colds by some studies. I could not find this fact clearly stated, but what I did see is study after study where they had to infect cells in petrie dishes (in vitro studies) instead of the usual guinea pig studies OR they used human volunteers. This strongly suggests to me that guinea pigs are likely not a great host for rhinoviruses and so not likely to catch YOUR cold if it is being caused by a rhinovirus.
This quote from a study seems to also imply that Rhinoviruses do not work well to create disease in guinea pigs and other rodents:
“Animal models have provided many insights into potential mechanisms linking viral infections and lower airway effects, but there are species-specific differences that can limit the interpretation of these data. For example, guinea pigs develop an accentuated eosinophilic response to viral infection (131) compared to most other species. Furthermore, there is no animal model for RV (rhinovirus) infection: major-group RhinoViruses do not bind to mouse intercellular cell adhesion molecule type 1 (ICAM-1), and although minor-group RhinoViruses bind to mouse epithelial cells, replication occurs only in the presence of systemic immunosuppression.”
From: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC88904/
So that’s the story with rhinoviruses.
Now if your cold is being caused by coronavirus (which causes around 20% of colds) I believe the guinea pig can get sick from you.
See this study where pigs died from being infected with SARS, which is one type of coronavirus:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16101345
The major veterinary textbook used for guinea pigs and rabbits that I know of (which IMO is in desperate need of updating and expanding) is Pathology of Laboratory Rodents and Rabbits
By Dean H. Percy, Stephen W. Barthold
From this text book, they state that coronaviruses can infect guinea pig gut epithielial cells but don’t really discuss respiratory infections…nevertheless it suggest that guinea pig cells are vulnerable to coronaviruses just as the SARS study suggests.
hopefully you can copy and paste the below link to see the textbook page in google books:
http://books.google.com/books?id=YZL20g ... us&f=false
Guinea pigs CAN BE infected with human influenza virus (there are too many sources to name that state this in my google search-it is a well understand animal disease model fact). Many illnesses get mislabeled the “flu” during the cold and flu season, but please know that the true flu for which you can get a protective vaccine is only caused by various strains of influenza virus. This is an illness accompanied by aches, fever and your pigs can get it from you. There is also a parainfluenza virus which data shows is able to infect guinea pigs but doesn’t seem to cause full blown respiratory illness in most cases.
Lastly we have the dreaded RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) which causes about 10% of colds. RSV tends to go around pediatric wards of hospitals every year. RSV can kill babies it is so nasty. It is what I would call the most severe cold I have ever had- back when I was rotating on peds I would catch it when the wave was going around each year and there were plenty of positive RSV tests to confirm that’s what I had. It is the type of cold that can take 3 weeks to a month before you are back to normal, although some adults fare better with it. Guinea pigs can catch this from you as proven by the example study below and hundreds of others:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12907559
SO IN SUMMARY WHEN YOU HAVE A COLD YOUR GUINEA PIG CAN ABSOLUTELY CATCH IT FROM YOU IF IT IS A CERTAIN TYPE OF VIRUS THEY ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO. Even though most of us guinea pig lovers tend to kiss and cuddle our pigs frequently so that they likely get exposed before we even develop symptoms, it still makes absolute sense to keep them away from your face while you are sick and be religious about washing your hands prior to touching them or anything in their cage until you have been well for several days. Because you just never know…if you have the variety of cold/flu that they can catch, it could take the life of an older pig or a weak pig. Better safe than sorry.
marjorie
The human cold is caused by a variety of different kinds of viruses….the guinea pig is only susceptible to SOME which is what causes the confusion over this issue. I am a human MD who has cared for about 20 guinea pigs over the past decade of my life…I have witnessed them catch a cold from me, but more often they do not catch my cold- it is infrequent but it can happen and so should be guarded against when you are sick.
Let me explain better, from webmd.com:
More than 200 different viruses are known to cause the common cold -- and the miserable symptoms that come with it.
The most common cold viruses include:
• Rhinoviruses -- causing 10% to 40% of colds
• Coronaviruses -- causing 20% of colds
• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) -- responsible for 10% of colds
(source: http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/cold- ... old_causes )
My past reading led me to conclude that guinea pigs are not prone to catching Rhinoviruses from humans- which constitute up to 40% of human colds by some studies. I could not find this fact clearly stated, but what I did see is study after study where they had to infect cells in petrie dishes (in vitro studies) instead of the usual guinea pig studies OR they used human volunteers. This strongly suggests to me that guinea pigs are likely not a great host for rhinoviruses and so not likely to catch YOUR cold if it is being caused by a rhinovirus.
This quote from a study seems to also imply that Rhinoviruses do not work well to create disease in guinea pigs and other rodents:
“Animal models have provided many insights into potential mechanisms linking viral infections and lower airway effects, but there are species-specific differences that can limit the interpretation of these data. For example, guinea pigs develop an accentuated eosinophilic response to viral infection (131) compared to most other species. Furthermore, there is no animal model for RV (rhinovirus) infection: major-group RhinoViruses do not bind to mouse intercellular cell adhesion molecule type 1 (ICAM-1), and although minor-group RhinoViruses bind to mouse epithelial cells, replication occurs only in the presence of systemic immunosuppression.”
From: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC88904/
So that’s the story with rhinoviruses.
Now if your cold is being caused by coronavirus (which causes around 20% of colds) I believe the guinea pig can get sick from you.
See this study where pigs died from being infected with SARS, which is one type of coronavirus:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16101345
The major veterinary textbook used for guinea pigs and rabbits that I know of (which IMO is in desperate need of updating and expanding) is Pathology of Laboratory Rodents and Rabbits
By Dean H. Percy, Stephen W. Barthold
From this text book, they state that coronaviruses can infect guinea pig gut epithielial cells but don’t really discuss respiratory infections…nevertheless it suggest that guinea pig cells are vulnerable to coronaviruses just as the SARS study suggests.
hopefully you can copy and paste the below link to see the textbook page in google books:
http://books.google.com/books?id=YZL20g ... us&f=false
Guinea pigs CAN BE infected with human influenza virus (there are too many sources to name that state this in my google search-it is a well understand animal disease model fact). Many illnesses get mislabeled the “flu” during the cold and flu season, but please know that the true flu for which you can get a protective vaccine is only caused by various strains of influenza virus. This is an illness accompanied by aches, fever and your pigs can get it from you. There is also a parainfluenza virus which data shows is able to infect guinea pigs but doesn’t seem to cause full blown respiratory illness in most cases.
Lastly we have the dreaded RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) which causes about 10% of colds. RSV tends to go around pediatric wards of hospitals every year. RSV can kill babies it is so nasty. It is what I would call the most severe cold I have ever had- back when I was rotating on peds I would catch it when the wave was going around each year and there were plenty of positive RSV tests to confirm that’s what I had. It is the type of cold that can take 3 weeks to a month before you are back to normal, although some adults fare better with it. Guinea pigs can catch this from you as proven by the example study below and hundreds of others:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12907559
SO IN SUMMARY WHEN YOU HAVE A COLD YOUR GUINEA PIG CAN ABSOLUTELY CATCH IT FROM YOU IF IT IS A CERTAIN TYPE OF VIRUS THEY ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO. Even though most of us guinea pig lovers tend to kiss and cuddle our pigs frequently so that they likely get exposed before we even develop symptoms, it still makes absolute sense to keep them away from your face while you are sick and be religious about washing your hands prior to touching them or anything in their cage until you have been well for several days. Because you just never know…if you have the variety of cold/flu that they can catch, it could take the life of an older pig or a weak pig. Better safe than sorry.
marjorie
-
pig wrangler
- Supporter in '13
The H1N1 virus was a hybrid swine/bird virus that jumped to humans. I believe that it is highly mutogenic, so it would make sense that strains could be passed from humans to guineapigs.
Transmission is on a case by case basis. Some viruses can be passed from humans to pigs, some cannot.
I would err on the side of caution. If you are sick, do not kiss your pig (French or otherwise).
On the other side, there are parasites, fungi, and bacteria that stay dormant or completely inactive in pigs that can be passed to humans and will not be dormant at all.
I caught roundworm from inhaling the eggs while shaking out fleece. The pigs never showed symptoms, while I got so sick I ended up in the hospital.
Transmission is on a case by case basis. Some viruses can be passed from humans to pigs, some cannot.
I would err on the side of caution. If you are sick, do not kiss your pig (French or otherwise).
On the other side, there are parasites, fungi, and bacteria that stay dormant or completely inactive in pigs that can be passed to humans and will not be dormant at all.
I caught roundworm from inhaling the eggs while shaking out fleece. The pigs never showed symptoms, while I got so sick I ended up in the hospital.
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