Among reemerging illnesses, influenza constitutes one of the main concerns. The avian influenza has recently demonstrated the strong transmission capacity of the etiological agent -a virus from the Orthomyxoviridae family - associated to high pathogenic manifestations of the illness. The strong mutation capacity of this virus, through different hosts, reveals how important integrated actions aiming at monitoring its presence in different species are. The swine infection represents an additional concern not only in relation to that species but also in relation to the possibility of the virus to mutate and adapt to humans. The elements that determine the pathogenicity of the various viral subtypes must be well understood, for the tools used to control the illness - such as vaccination - may promote viral mutation and thus render the control even more difficult instead of favoring it. The present review aims at characterizing various components involved in the virus maintenance in different species as well as the determinant elements involved in its evolution, from the point of view of Conservation Medicine, which is the branch of science that deals exactly with the interaction among the environment, human beings, and animals, thus creating a holistic vision not only of the problem but also of the coherent and effective actions involved in their solution.
Swine flu; avian flu; reassortment; conservation medicine; panzooty