Humans can pass norovirus on to dogs, which raises the possibility of dog-to-human transmission as well, according to research published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology.
Research out of the University of Cambridge and Imperial Collage in the U.K. showed that some canines can build an immune response to human norovirus, which suggests that the animals have been infected with the virus.
However, even though dogs are susceptible to the illness, researchers failed to find norovirus in dog stool samples — it was present in only one-seventh of 325 dogs tested.
Additionally, it is still unclear if dogs can play a role in human norovirus outbreaks.
"Until more definitive data is available, sensible hygiene precautions should be taken around pets, especially when gastroenteritis in either humans or dogs is present in a household," said Sara Caddy, PhD, a vet and PhD student and the study's lead author.