Cat gets H1N1 from its owners
A University of Guelph animal biologist on Friday outlined methods to diagnose H1N1 influenza in a pet after the first reports surfaced of a cat contracting the virus in Iowa.
A 13-year-old indoor cat in Iowa tested positive for the virus Wednesday that it caught from the family it lived with, Iowa Department of Public Health veterinarian Dr. Ann Garvey confirmed in a release Thursday.
“Two of the three members of the family that owns the pet had suffered from influenza-like illness before the cat became ill,” said Garvey. “This is not completely unexpected, as other strains of influenza have been found in cats in the past.”
Both the cat and its owners have recovered from their illnesses.
“H1N1 infection in pets is rare but has been diagnosed in ferrets and now in a cat,” Prof. Scott Weese, a pathobiologist at Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College, reported on wormsandgermsblog.com.
“Considering the large number of infected people and presumably the large number of exposed pets, the risk of transmission to pets appears to be extremely low.”
His advice:
Reduce contact with pets if you are sick.
Avoid being around them when you are coughing.
Wash your hands frequently.
Avoid contact with their faces.
Make sure your vet is aware if your pet gets sick after you’ve had H1N1, or any other infection.
“Many, many people have influenza but very few pets do,” said Weese.
Human signs of the disease don’t translate to pets, so laboratory testing is necessary. Ferrets are more vulnerable than other pets and cats are more prone to get the virus than dogs, he said.
“Basically, remember that your pets are part of the household microbiologically as well as socially.” – Healthzone.ca
