More ferrets with H1N1 caught from owners in Oregon

[Roehl_JC]

Re: More ferrets with H1N1 caught from owners in Oregon

D.C. Pet Owners Worry About Feline H1N1
By REBECCA SHEIR WAMU 88.5 NEWS
Updated 8:00 AM EST, Thu, Nov 12, 2009

As the first cat found to have H1N1 recovers in Iowa, pet owners in the D.C. area are wondering how to keep their animals virus-free.

The World Health Organization said the cat isn't the first non-human to get H1N1 from an infected person.

"They've confirmed cases in pigs, birds and ferrets. They haven't confirmed anything in dogs yet," said Dr. Ashley Hughes of Friendship Hospital for Animals in Northwest Washington.

Last week's feline diagnosis sparked a surge of concerned phone calls to the hospital, but Hughes urged people to stay calm "because it's not unexpected that H1N1, like many other flu viruses, can jump species."

As more humans become infected, the WHO expects that transmission of the virus from humans to other animals will occur with greater frequency.

Hughes is quick to note, however, that even though humans can spread H1N1 to pets, the WHO does not "believe animals can give it to people." Hughes encourages pet owners to practice good hygiene like washing hands and covering the mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing.

"And if you're sick," she said, "don't snuggle with your cat. Just like when they're sick they want to go off and be by themselves, you should probably stay off by yourself until you get better."

And if any of your animals exhibit certain symptoms, such as coughing, sneezing, runny nose or eyes, decreased appetite, lethargy or fever, Hughes recommends you call your veterinarian.

Listen to the complete story at wamu.org


http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/health/D_C__Pet_Owners_Worry_About_Feline_H1N1-69790827.html

 

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: More ferrets with H1N1 caught from owners in Oregon

....even though humans can spread H1N1 to pets, the WHO does not "believe animals can give it to people....

Why would this be true???

Might it relate to viral load variability from different lung capacities? ...just an idea.

.

 

[Roehl_JC]

Re: More ferrets with H1N1 caught from owners in Oregon

As for any probability for pet-to-human transmission...Perhaps it's just as-yet untested 'wishful thinking' hypothesis of Dr. Hughes, as he sounds very sensible...but IMO if there's close enough proximity and a sick pet is shedding sufficient virus, there may be sufficient load being sneezed or drooled to effectively achieve successful p2h transmission, perhaps to another family member, which would make it obviously a rational choice to segregate sick pets from the children if they are still well *( this virus is obviously very mammalian-friendly), haha ...it's more than likely that some such transmissions from pet-to-human are possible, by the same mechanisms that humans spread it to the pet in the first place. And it follows that it would be more likely that the Pets' owners or the pet's owner's family/friends ill with H1N1 would be the ones most often involved in h2p transmission in family settings and p2h as well.

That said, the actual risk of catching the H1N1 P2H outside family settings would be fantastically low from stray animals and passers-by's pets as long as social distancing is practicable. The general public is more likely to catch their own individual cases of H1N1 from other people at far greater frequency, much more so than the risk of people catching H1N1 from pets2humans.
If only there were easy ways to isolate animals from one another and from other family members during their sick times, I'd say pets are the LEAST likely means of viral reassortment. I'm keeping my cats inside for a few days now, and they are all purring again, though two are a wee bit chesty still.

hehe I personally wouldn't recommend mouth-to-muzzle or mouth-to-tiny-mouth on cat or pet rat/mouse CPR if and when a pet is ill...haha

 

[Zac]

Re: More ferrets with H1N1 caught from owners in Oregon

Verify precisely which pathogen the ferret is suffering from. If it's other than influenza, there may be effective treatment.

.

The anti-virals like tamiflu work for dogs too. Tamiflu is the first line treatment for parvo in dogs:

http://vettechs.blogspot.com/2005/04/oseltamivir-is-there-new-treatment-for.html

If my dog got swine flu, I would give her tamiflu just like I would my kid if I had one. I think that believing swine flu is not transmissible from animals to humans is just wishful thinking.

 

[gsgs]

Re: More ferrets with H1N1 caught from owners in Oregon

no dogs with ** . Cats, ferrets cases seem also very limited,
else we'd heard more.

Cats don't visit school, use cars,trains,buses organize cat-parties
they could just increase household transmission

what was the 2ndary attack rate in households ? 20% ?

 

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: More ferrets with H1N1 caught from owners in Oregon

.........I'd say pets are the LEAST likely means of viral reassortment. ..........

....with the exception of pot-bellied pigs.

Consider cat litter boxes as a source via the little paws that use them. Poor cat may find his owners no longer enjoy being "happy pawed." If I lived in a sunny warm area, I'd consider putting a cat's litter box in the sun for part of the day. (not here though - it would freeze to a brick in a few minutes)

.

 

[Emily]

Re: More ferrets with H1N1 caught from owners in Oregon

....
In hind sight for better or worse, mass culls prevent the animals from developing natural immunity, so the cycle continues as the species are not allowed any chance to react naturally due to a perceived threat to humans. Instead we tend to put our faith in hastily made animal vaccines which may not be that effective, have to be reformulated as the virus drifts, drives the virus to mutate in response to man made attempts to eradicate it and can create asymptomatic spreaders.

Nature needs a chance to do her part.

I was thinking those factors you mention that may have driven the 1997-1998 emerged swine flu reassortants to evolve into a bigger and bigger problem, (I think PRRSV plays a role, too), at least are unique to farm animals.

Humans do live a lot longer so if we can develop immunity, hopefully it will go differently for us.

 

[Corn]

Re: More ferrets with H1N1 caught from owners in Oregon

Some people have extremely close relationships with their pets. Sometimes closer than their kids. I know of a few who let the pets sleep with them, get carted around in purses wherever they go to, are allowed generous licking and exchange of saliva and so on. I've seen it all. The interaction is quite close. Would make sense that some commingling of biology is taking place.

You know who you are.

One other thing....... as pets most often sniff their way around they are likely to inhale much more pathogens than people, so the infections could go visa versa.

gsgs, you've never seen a cat party?

 

[tropical]

Re: More ferrets with H1N1 caught from owners in Oregon

Some people have extremely close relationships with their pets.

Live beings sharings ...

If not of extreme manifestation,
taking into consideration the value of life for other forms on earth,
and if harming interactions could be posible avoided,
is an more positive aproach than destroy them.


Before the industrial revolution, on the country fields,
there were close relationships with domestic and wild animals also,
more diferent than the today years of species extermination, mega cages and abatoirs.

 

[tropical]

Re: More ferrets with H1N1 caught from owners in Oregon

Unless you keep pigs or fowl, the known risk of an influenza viral reassortment involving your pets is very low.

Do not euthanize your pets. Your spouse, children, co-workers and neighbors are a much bigger threat for potential H1N1 reassortment with another adapted influenza than your cat and dog.

I agree.

After the pandemic spreads worldwide, that's the main risk, humans will spread it, no matter the "initial species zero".

 

[Roehl_JC]

Re: More ferrets with H1N1 caught from owners in Oregon

Comment: Not sure where to put this story, but since it's about PET Birds, and they've been dropping dead at a show with lung problems, it sure sounds like H1N1 or some other bird flu.

..............................................................
Story:

Bird lovers and exhibitors watched in horror as 38 prize budgies keeled over and died during a show.

Owners and organisers rushed about getting their cages outside into the fresh air as the budgerigars began plummeting from their perches.
Fanciers feared a gas leak caused the tragedy.

But after investigations by plumbers, gas workers, fire authorities and environmental health officers, there was no explanation for what happened at the village hall event in Gwynedd, North Wales.

Retired pet shop owner Dave Cottrell, 55, who lost 10 birds at the show, said: 'I was preparing the certificates as the birds were being put in order when a steward came over and said he had a dead one.

'Then another steward came over said he had two or three dead.

'And within seconds a third steward said he had more dead.'

Mr Cottrell, who has 200 birds and been a fancier for 35 years, thinks a boiler or oven flue could have been temporarily blocked, forcing out fumes.

Robert Hughes, 34, - who organised the annual Gwynedd Budgerigar Society Open Show - said: 'The birds were spread across the hall.

'Five minutes after the first one died eleven more had gone, one was mine.

'We made the decision to get everything out of the hall because we had 350 cages so we saved a lot of birds.'

Small birds are especially vulnerable because of their tiny, sensitive respiratory systems.

Canaries were traditionally used by miners to test whether there were dangerous levels of carbon monoxide below ground.

Mr Hughes said: 'Nobody in the community has seen nor heard anything like this before. The hall has been given the all clear.

'It's bizarre. It has been really difficult to get over it.

'It takes a year to organise the show and it's a lot of work - but that's nothing compared to how you feel for some of the people who lost birds.'

A vet carried out checks on two casualties revealing they died from congestion and haemorrhaging of the lungs

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...d-perches-horrified-judges.html#ixzz0X2Uh8uUc

 

[tropical]

Re: More ferrets with H1N1 caught from owners in Oregon

Thank you Roehl_JC for that strange news.

#31:
"'We made the decision to get everything out of the hall because we had 350 cages so we saved a lot of birds.'

Small birds are especially vulnerable because of their tiny, sensitive respiratory systems.

Canaries were traditionally used by miners to test whether there were dangerous levels of carbon monoxide below ground.

...
A vet carried out checks on two casualties revealing they died from congestion and haemorrhaging of the lungs"
___


Worying indeed.


If we try to connect their tiny sensitive respiratory systems,
the whatsoever gas presence possibility later dismissed,
the fact 350 cages of birds were saved because transported out to fresh air,
and the objective veterinary pat. result of "congestion and haemorrhaging of the lungs"

it stil seems that the main death vector was present in the closed hall,
because when the birds were transported out, seems implicite from this text that the deaths ceased.

If the deaths ceased at open air, that means few possibilities:

1 - the agent was chem., and remains in the hall

2a - the agent, was biological, ceased to tresspass from bird to bird at open
2b - corrolary of 2a - all the remaining birds at open have NOT in their body this lethal haemorhagic biological agent, because otherwise they will died at open air also.

2c - if it was biological, and ceased at open as wroted in 2b, than:

2c1 - all by this agent infected birds were infected naturaly by new flu/ards, but the only deceased birds were the ones already deceased in the closed hall
or
2c2- in the hall full of birds was released a biological agent which starts to kill them in short time, but it did not have a time to reach all the birds, because they were transported to open air in a hurry.


Option 2c1 could be possible, but the probability that all the naturaly infected birds are the same number of the ones deceased in the short time prior their transportation to open air, is low, if they were from diferent owners and provenience.

Option 2c2, if that was an biological (not chem.) agent, seems more logicaly probable than option 2c1, if not tainted food linked.

Option 1, it seems the more probable, but such chem. must induce fast haemorrhaging of the lungs.
In that case, such agent detection will be possible in the closed hall air,
or in the bird food - but the respiratory organs were attacked, so it must be an respiratory harming agent there.

But in the air there were no chem. agents founded:
"But after investigations by plumbers, gas workers, fire authorities and environmental health officers, there was no explanation for what happened at the village hall event in Gwynedd, North Wales."


So, or additional, more detailed chem. investigations must be conducted there, and will reveal the presence of an sensitive birds harming chemical,
or
such agent, if chem., vanished fast,
or
it was an somehow released biological agent in the air.