Polish infectious disease specialists warn that Influenza D and canine coronavirus HuPn-2018 could potentially jump to humans, as they go undetected in routine tests.
Not Conspiracy, But Concerning Analysis
This is not about conspiracy theories or media sensationalization around a new pandemic. It’s about concerning conclusions from analyses published in one of the world’s most important epidemiological journals—and a warning that history could repeat itself.
Influenza D and Canine Coronavirus in the Shadow of K Flu
While the public focuses on the current K flu variant, a team of infectious disease specialists has published a cool, analytical assessment of threats that haven’t yet entered routine diagnostics. At the center of their attention are two zoonotic pathogens: influenza D and the canine coronavirus HuPn-2018.
Why These Viruses Pose Potential Risk
Neither currently causes mass infections. Both are rarely detected in routine tests. And precisely that, according to experts, makes them potentially dangerous. Both viruses could potentially “jump” to humans, but diagnostic methods are not catching them.
Influenza D: From Cattle to Humans
Influenza D was discovered relatively recently—in 2011. For years it was treated strictly as a veterinary problem, mainly associated with respiratory diseases in cattle and swine. Over time, however, the list of species in which it was detected began to expand. It now circulates among poultry, deer, camels, and even exotic animals—a warning sign that a wide host range increases the chance of adaptation to humans.
Studies among US cattle farm workers showed that a significant percentage have developed antibodies to the virus, indicating prior exposure. In other words: contact with the virus is already occurring, but the system is not detecting it.
Canine Coronavirus HuPn-2018: Not SARS-CoV-2 but Detected in Humans
The second virus sounds familiar but can be misleading. Canine coronavirus (CCoV) is not the same pathogen that caused the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it belongs to the same family—coronaviruses—known for their high mutation and recombination capabilities.
While it mainly causes gastrointestinal symptoms in dogs, it has been ignored in humans for years. The situation changed when documented cases of respiratory infections began appearing. The first was described in a medical team member returning from Haiti, followed by a child hospitalized with pneumonia in Malaysia. Subsequent reports came from several countries.
Diagnostic Challenges
The problem is not a lack of vigilance, but the tools themselves. Standard PCR tests used for diagnosing respiratory infections do not detect the canine coronavirus HuPn-2018. This means patients are recorded in statistics as “pneumonia of unknown etiology,” the virus continues to circulate unnoticed, and epidemiology relies on fragmentary scientific data.
Lessons from COVID-19
The authors of the analysis remind us that both influenza and COVID-19 pandemics began with long periods of “silent circulation” of the virus among animals and humans. The lack of tests, lack of surveillance, and the belief that “it’s not a problem yet” proved costly. The situation with influenza D and the canine coronavirus looks similarly concerning: weak monitoring, no approved diagnostic tests, and zero therapeutic and vaccine preparation.
Experts do not claim a pandemic is inevitable. They say something else: the time to act is now, not when it’s too late.
