Question: A friend of mine says that people can catch some strains of flu from their dogs. Is this true?

Dr. Hibberd’s answer:

The influenza strains that affect us are generally species-specific, but bird and swine flu can evolve to infect humans. Canine influenza is typically not transmitted to us, but we are able to transmit our flu to dogs. On occasion, cats may also carry an influenza virus without having any symptoms. While it would be wise to keep Fido clear of household influenza virus exposure, I would not count the family dog as a likely source of the flu.