Colds are a common respiratory illness that humans often suffer from. But, did you know that animals can catch colds too, and some animals have similar symptoms to humans? So, which animals catch a cold?Do insects catch colds?Let's find out.
Colds are caused by different types of viruses, the most common of which are influenza viruses and rhinoviruses. These viruses can infect different animal species, causing them to experience symptoms such as fever, cough, runny nose, sneezing, etc. In general, mammals and avian animals are more susceptible to colds because their respiratory tracts are similar to those of humans, and their body temperatures are higher, which is conducive to the reproduction of the virus。For example, domestic animals such as dogs, cats, pigs, horses, cows, and sheep can catch colds, and their colds can also be transmitted to humans, causing zoonotic diseases. Some wild animals, such as gorillas, seals, sea lions, walruses, etc., also catch colds and sometimes even die from colds.
Poultry animals, such as chickens, ducks, geese, pigeons, etc., are also often infected with influenza viruses, causing itAvian influenzaThe virus can also mutate and infect humans, leading to serious consequences.
Insects are a very specific class of animals that do not have a respiratory tract and instead exchange gases through the tracheal system. Therefore,Insects do not catch colds and do not have cold-like symptoms
However, this does not mean that insects do not get sick, they can also be infected by other types of pathogens such as bacteria, fungi, parasites, etc. These pathogens can enter the body of insects through wounds, digestive tracts, ** and other routes, causing varying degrees of damage. Some pathogens can even change the behavior of insects, turning them into zombies. For example, there is a "zombie fungus" that can infect ants, make them lose their minds, climb onto the leaf tips of plants, and then grow fruiting bodies of the fungus from their heads, releasing spores.
Colds