Two cats in Colorado test positive for H1N1, CSU says

[Pathfinder]

Two cats in Colorado test positive for H1N1, CSU says

By Coloradoan news reports ? December 4, 2009

Two cats from different households in Colorado have tested positive for H1N1, according to Colorado State University?s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. The felines are expected to recover, but their cases serve as a reminder to pet owners to seek veterinary attention for companion animals that appear to be ill, said a CSU statement.

The cats in these two cases were diagnosed with lower respiratory tract infections by Colorado veterinarians. Both cats are currently ill and have been ill for multiple weeks, with one illness beginning on Oct. 2 and the other beginning in early November. Antibiotics do not treat H1N1, but both cats received antibiotics as a precaution against secondary bacterial infections. Neither cat had symptoms that responded to antibiotics.


?We expect that both cats will recover, but these cases serve as a reminder to pet owners to seek veterinary attention as soon as possible if their pet seems ill. This flu has also been identified in ferrets, exotic cats and birds in the United States, so any companion animal that appears to have the flu should get immediate attention,? Kristy Pabilonia, a veterinarian and expert on H1N1 testing in animals at CSU, said in the statement released by CSU. ?We are very interested in understanding more about H1N1 in cats and other pets and providing tests to veterinarians who suspect H1N1 in companion animals.?


Swabs from the cats? mouth and nose were tested by CSU and additional blood serum confirmation testing from Iowa State University confirmed that they have the pandemic H1N1 strain.

Veterinarians believe that both of the cats became ill with H1N1 after a person in their household contracted the virus.

In addition to receiving veterinary care, cats and ferrets with H1N1 should be made comfortable and get plenty of rest, enticing food and fluids.

The USDA is reporting three other confirmed cases of H1N1 in cats, one each in Oregon, Iowa and Pennsylvania. At least five ferrets have been confirmed to have H1N1, four in Oregon and one in Nebraska.

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20091204/UPDATES01/91204038/Two+cats+in+Colorado+test+positive+for+H1N1++CSU+says

[Emily]

Re: Two cats in Colorado test positive for H1N1, CSU says

I've seen some comments by cat owners indicating that it has been suspected that influenza strains were passed between cats and people for some time. So it looks like the pandemic H1N1 might not be unique in that respect. These new 'One Health' type projects might get more confirmation of that.

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Purdue+project+could+help+pets+serve+as+disease+wa tchdogs.%28EH...-a0147204955
Purdue project could help pets serve as disease watchdogs.
(2006)


A national surveillance network that uses the medical records of companion animals could help prepare for a wide variety of emerging-disease threats to humans and animals, including avian influenza avian influenza: see influenza. , according to veterinary scientists at Purdue University's School of Veterinary Medicine veterinary medicine, diagnosis and treatment of diseases of animals. An early interest in animal diseases is found in ancient Greek writings on medicine. Veterinary medicine began to achieve the stature of a science with the organization of the first school in the
[snip]

* The data showed a correlation between the number of cases of influenza-like illness in cats and similar symptoms in humans in the Washington, D.C., area. This pattern suggested common environmental causes of influenza in cats and people. The finding also illustrates the ability of Purdue researchers to track diseases by geographic area and to detect statistical clusters of events in companion animals that could signal the introduction of new viruses into the United States, such as avian influenza virus due to bird migration or bioterrorism.

"We wanted to show that these animals could be used as sentinels for infectious agents and perhaps predict the occurrence of diseases in humans," Glickman said. "The long-term goal is to partner with other providers of companion-animal health care and animal laboratory data to create a comprehensive system. We think there is no comparable human-surveillance system in the country."

In ongoing work, the Purdue researchers are investigating ways to monitor cats for avian influenza. In collaboration with Banfield, they have developed an early-warning system for a canine influenza caused by a virus that appears to have jumped recently from horses to dogs. If a dog comes to a Banfield clinic with a predetermined set of clinical signs, the computer screen flashes in the hospital, and information appears that advises the practitioner what samples to collect from the dog for virus identification. A similar real-time surveillance system could be used to identify the avian-influenza virus in pet birds or cats, Glickman said.

The research was funded in part by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), agency of the U.S. Public Health Service since 1973, with headquarters in Atlanta; it was established in 1946 as the Communicable Disease Center. .
COPYRIGHT 2006 National Environmental Health Association