H5N1 infection in domestic cats and a stone marten – Europe
Avian influenza A (H5N1) virus infections have been reported in domestic cats in Germany and Austria, according to the World Health Organization and the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention. During late February and early March 2006, authorities in Germany announced the detection of H5N1 influenza in three domestic cats that died on the Baltic island of Ruegen, where H5N1 infection has been confirmed in more than 100 wild birds. The deceased cats are thought to have acquired their infections after feeding on H5N1-infected birds. In March 2006, Austrian officials reported the confirmation of H5N1 infection in three sick domestic cats in an animal shelter where the disease had been detected in chickens a month earlier.
To date, there is no evidence that domestic cats have a role in the natural transmission cycle of H5N1 viruses. No cases of avian influenza in humans have been linked to exposure to sick cats, and no outbreaks among populations of domestic cats have been reported. All natural H5N1 infections in domestic cats reported to date appear to have been associated with outbreaks in domestic or wild birds and acquired through ingestion of raw infected meat.
Although the risk of feline infection is very low in Europe, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control has issued preliminary recommendations for cat owners living in H5N1-affected areas. These include keeping domestic cats indoors to prevent exposure to potentially infected birds and avoiding contact with semi-domestic and feral cats living outside the home. The recommendations also encourage owners of ill cats, particularly those known to have been exposed to sick or dead birds, to have their cats examined by a veterinarian.
For more information about H5N1 infection in domestic cats, visit the Web site of the American Veterinary Medical Association http://www.avma.org.
In addition to the reports of infection in domestic cats, German authorities in early March 2006 announced the detection of H5N1 infection in a stone marten (a weasel-like mammal) on the island of Ruegen, in the same area where the dead H5N1-infected cats were found. As with the domestic cats on the island, it is presumed that the stone marten acquired its infection by feeding on H5N1-infected birds. For more information, visit the World Health Organization Web site http://www.who.int/en/.Page last modified March 13, 2006