Cats infected with bird flu in Iraq -report

[sabra]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N06309606.htm

Cats infected with bird flu in Iraq -report

WASHINGTON, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Cats that died during an outbreak of bird flu in Iraq last February were infected with the H5N1 virus, U.S. naval medical researchers reported.

Any cat that becomes ill or dies when suspected bird flu is circulating should be tested for the virus, the Navy team reported in the August issue of the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.

The team at the Naval Medical Research Unit No. 3 or NAMRU-3, based in Cairo, have been studying bird flu viruses taken from animals and people in the region

...

Cats are mammals and biologically closer to humans than birds are, so in theory a virus that can easily infect a cat could infect a person more easily than a purely avian virus, which H5N1 remains.

[goclark]

1. Oh, this is not good nt

[aquart]

2. Thinking of the dog massacres in China?

I agree. Not good.

[kestrel91316]

3. Just like when the cats caught bird flu from the sick birds in Germany

last year.

Cats who catch wild prey such as birds can acquire diseases from them. This is not new. If H5N1 makes it to N. America, everybody with any brains at all will keep their kitties 100% indoors.

My nephew was living in Switzerland very near the affected area of Germany last year, and he told me that it made people nervous, and they were all keeping their cats indoors, and eventually the scare passed.

If we get it here, I sure hope Americans are as willing as the Swiss and Germans are to comply with public health recommendations. But I suspect they will be too concerned with their individual rights and won't go along.

[tulsakatz]

6. I keep my cats indoors all the time anyway!

I have 2 cats, one is 7 yrs and the other one is 5 yrs (that's people yrs) and I always keep them inside!

It's healthier for them. If they go outside, they could get hit by a car or be exposed to other animals who may carry diseases.

I had one cat die once of feline leukemia. That was painful enough. Sure, I know they would love to be outside but the health benefits far outweigh the risks.

[mom cat]

7. mom cat says thanks for loving your kitty. The average lifespan for

an outdoor cat is three years, whereas my dear Catherine the Great lived 23 wonderful years indoors. It is just too unsafe, especially in urban areas for fluffy to go out and outdoor cats are a real threat to birds.

I used to have a sign on my door to remind visitorsthat said
DON'T LET MEOUT

[kestrel91316]

8. I agree. Though I would make more money if I encouraged all my

patients to roam free..............

[Kailassa]

9. I hope you are giving them vitamin D or cod-liver oil.

They normally get that from sunshine, ...
but I'm sure you'd already know about that. :hi:

[Trillo]

4. You gotta love the zeal. but....

But how practical is it to test every cat that dies in Iraq? I mean, really.

Who is gonna pay for that?

[nolabels]

5. Mothers check for the whereabouts of fluffy, this sounds like the work ...

of Bill Frist

http://www.answers.com/topic/bill-frist-medical-school-experiments-controversy

[sam sarrha]

10. we are going to have to put an electronic fence on the doggie door if

it shows up here.. she can use the cat box. but the dogs need to come and go.