New York, Dec 23 (THAINDIAN NEWS) In a surprise development the world’s first known swine flu dog case has been reported in New York. This has stunned the medical professionals worldwide, as they have no clues about how the dog caught the swine flu – i.e. the H1N1 virus.

All the medical authorities are trying to figure out how the dog caught the H1N1 virus. The owner of the dog had the virus, so it seems likely that the dog caught the virus from him, but this is still baffling the medical authorities because they can’t figure out how the virus can be transmitted from a man to a dog.

However, a 13-year-old male dog in New York has apparently contracted swine flu from his owner. And while both of them are recovering from the swine flu, the science community is scrambling to reassure pet owners that such cases are rare, reports the startribune.com.

The dog, who began experiencing breathing problems, was taken to a Bedford Hills, NY veterinary clinic on Dec. 13, reports the paper. The doctor, who knew that the owner had swine flu, decided to have the dog tested for the virus.

According to the ASPCA website, there is an extremely low risk of cross-infection between humans and their cats and dogs, although they do offer guidance for pigs and other swine farm animals.