Cats with Bird Flu: In February of 2006, domestic cats in Germany were found to have died from the H5N1 subtype of bird flu. The news caused alarm among cat owners and people who live near colonies of stray cats. Some people even abandoned their animals.
No Confirmed Cat to Human Transmission: Despite the scare, there have not been any confirmed cases of cat to human transmission. There have been over 230 confirmed cases of H5N1 bird flu in humans, but none have been attributed to contact with cats.
No Confirmed Cat to Cat Transmission: So far, there have been no confirmed cases of cat to cat transmission of a bird flu viruses in domestic cats. In Thailand, however, it is thought that some felines in zoos, who were infected with the H5N1 subtype through infected raw meat, did spread the disease to other large cats.
Suspected Transmission Through Raw Bird Meat: It is thought that the domestic cats who have contracted the H5N1 subtype of bird flu were infected by eating the raw meat of infected domestic or wild birds. It is not thought that cats can naturally carry the virus, like domestic and wild birds.
Humans can also contract bird flu through eating infected raw meat. Follow Tips to Cooking Poultry Properly.
American Bird Conservancy suggests Cats Indoors!: Linda Winter, director of the Cats Indoors! campaign of The American Bird Conservancy suggests keeping cats inside. ABC says that cats lead longer, healthier lives if they are not allowed to go outside where they may contract diseases.
Dogs Get Bird Flu Too: See Dogs and Bird Flu for more information.
Sources:
- World Health Organization, H5N1 Avian Influenza in Domestic Cats, Situation Report. February 28, 2006. See text, http://www.who.int/csr/don/2006_02_28a/en/index.html
- American Bird Conservancy, the Cats Indoors! Campaign. See information at http://www.abcbirds.org/cats/
- Winter, Linda. Personal interview. 10 Feb. 2006.