H1N1 in Cats...from their Humans!!!

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My Daughter sent me a message about the H1N1 flu virus being transmitted from humans to their cats! The body of the article is below;

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine confirmed that a 13-year-old cat whose owners had experienced flu-like symptoms contracted H1N1 (swine) flu.

“This may be the first instance where we have documentation that transmission occurred involving cats or dogs,” CDC spokesman Tom Skinner told the Associated Press.

The cat’s symptoms included:

Lethargy
Difficulty breathing
Loss of appetite
Though influenza is known to cross species, we’ve seen that less with this strain, though it’s been confirmed in birds and ferrets. In fact, many veterinarians have been telling clients that transmission from humans to cats and dogs or vice versa is beyond unlikely. This cat changes that.

To protect your pets, experts suggest taking the same precautions you would to prevent spreading the flu to other people, including getting the vaccine, wearing a mask, keeping some distance and washing your hands.

The following link is the actual article…..

Keep yourselves healthy, and your pets too….wash your hands!

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http://content.usatoday.com/communities/pawprintpost/post/2009/11/cat-in-iowa-had-h1n1-1st-known-case-involving-dogs-or-cats/1