Can piggies catch human cold/flu virus?

Bookfan
For the Love of Pigs

Post   » Thu Oct 15, 2009 6:29 pm


Hanta virus is caught from mice and it's *bad* for humans.

jedifreac

Post   » Thu Oct 15, 2009 10:03 pm


Always makes me paranoid when I'm handling stray pigs that may have been exposed to stuff. >_<

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Cielo

Post   » Thu Oct 15, 2009 10:06 pm


They can get sick from the bacteria that causes us a cold, also Kennel cough from the dogs. I avoid going near them when I get sick just in case.

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pigjes
Cavy Comic

Post   » Fri Oct 16, 2009 3:03 am


I have passed over gastroenteritis a few times to the pigs. My bad immune system is prone to any infections, I avoid people who cough like the plague. Yet, I get gastroenteritis easily, despite me bing so hygienic, not everyone else is. My two eldest piggies seem to get it when I get it. I avoid picking them up and handling the cage when I have it, but then it always seems too late. When I discover it, I already have transmitted to to them.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Fri Oct 16, 2009 8:55 am


Have you been tested for giardia? Both humans and guinea pigs can get it.

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pigjes
Cavy Comic

Post   » Sat Oct 17, 2009 4:51 am


Yep, have been tested a few times, no giardia.

I've noticed a decay in proper food hygiene here. Cleaning work tops, washing hands after going to the oval porcelain office is something that's becoming less and less used.

I go to the grocery store and I see food on the floor all over, when they are unpacking, just plain gross. There has been a real outbreak of gastroenteritis amongst Belgians here the past two years, no wonder.

Hub works at a humongous hospital and they give training to people on how to be hygienic on a regular basis. Even lots of hospital staff isn't used to washing their hands, bweeeeeeeerk.

I have been a manager in the food industry in the past, so I know proper hygiene, but I still have caught it several times the past two years from eating out. I hope that the scare of the Mexican flu will make people aware of being hygienic again, but I don't have my hopes up.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Oct 17, 2009 10:35 am


You can get negative giardia tests and still have it. It is hard to get rid of.

roguebantha

Post   » Sun Oct 18, 2009 7:45 am


Hi everyone,

Thanks for all your comments, it's reassuring to know it seems very unlikely I will have passed it on.

I am still only at the sore throat/ clear-yellow phlegm phase myself (lovely!), and the incident I was particularly worried about was the day before I showed any symptoms at all. Boris is still fine, so fingers crossed. I just know how bad they can get if they do catch something bacterial, and I had heard somewhere that people can be very contagious in the early stages.

Boris says hi, he is having his floor time and has just come up to play, so I had better go! But no more than stroking from a distance (with clean hands of course!).

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Caspersmom

Post   » Sun Oct 18, 2009 10:50 pm


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.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sun Oct 18, 2009 11:09 pm


I think kisses are okay.

Just normal kisses. Not those French ones.

:-)

Bookfan
For the Love of Pigs

Post   » Sun Oct 18, 2009 11:36 pm


*snort*

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Caspersmom

Post   » Mon Oct 19, 2009 3:36 am


Will try to control myself!

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