• Question: In your area of work, can the virus spread from animal to animal? This might be an obvious answer question!

    Asked by lucinda to Pamela on 15 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Pamela Lithgow

      Pamela Lithgow answered on 15 Jun 2011:

      Hi Lucinda,
      I think that is a really good question. The virus I work on African swine fever virus can spread from animal to animal. The virus can spread when animals come into contact with other infected animals, also they can catch it from eating the meat from infected pigs (some farmers, not in the UK, feed pigs leftover meat including pig meat). It can also spread by infecting ticks which bite the pigs.
      It is a good question and not obvious at all because not all viruses can spread from one animal to another. Some viruses for example blue tongue virus (a virus of sheep and cows) needs a midge (like a little fly) to spread.
      Hope this helps
      Pam 🙂

Comments