How's your ferret feeling?

According to this article from U.S News and World Report, a ferret in Portland, Ore., has come down with the H1N1 flu virus, commonly known as swine flu.

Scientists have known for a long time that ferrets can get human flu; in fact, they use ferrets in the laboratory to test flu treatments. But ferrets are also popular pets. In this case, first reported in the Oregonian, it sounds like the ferret got the flu from its owner. And it appears to be the first reported case of H1N1 flu traveling from people to animals.

And a pig at the Minnesota State Fair tested positive for the virus.

The sick pig and ferret remind us that flu isn't just a human disease. Birds get it, too, and the avian flu that’s been causing deaths in Asia has been spread by migratory birds, domestic ducks, and chickens, though there have been no infections of birds with either H1N1 or avian flu in the United States. The nation’s hog farmers are understandably worried that people will stop eating pork if H1N1 is infecting pigs. But the Department of Agriculture says humans cannot contract H1N1 from eating pork.

And since I believe that more information is best, read the entire article for tips on flu prevention — and that includes getting a flu shot.