Humans could soon be infected by dog flu.
Human could catch a deadly flu from their dogs
Scientists fear that a deadly dog influenza virus has shown signs that it could leap to pet owners with potentially lethal consequences.
Canines were first infected by the bird flu virus H3N2 in 2006 and the illness is now an established threat to dogs but boffins fear that pooches will be a "stepping stone" for the disease to jump to humans.
Professor James Wood, head of the department of veterinary medicine at the University of Cambridge, said: "The changes in the canine virus apparently are making it better adapted to transmit within mammals, as you might expect after such a long period in dogs.
"The virus does not seem to pose particularly worrying health threats to dogs - one might be more concerned about the longer term pandemic potential in other species such as humans."