Scientists have discovered that sea otters can get the flu — and not just any flu, either. According to the Smithsonian, these mammals are the worlds newest carriers of H1N1, the flu strain that lead to a human pandemic back in 2009. And, according to a study published in Emerging and Infectious Diseases, scientists have no idea how these Northern sea otters caught it. Over 70 percent of the otters tested positive for H1N1 In 2009, H1N1 spread globally in humans for the first time, and the strain has stuck around ever since.
Comments are closed.
