|
Cats tend to go for sick birds, so
the discovery of the dead German cat in an area
where dozens of birds had died from H5N1 does not
come as a big surprise. And according to a 2004
paper by Dutch virologist Thijs Kuiken, cat-to-cat
transmission is possible and could provide an
"opportunity for this avian flu to adapt to
mammals".
Professor Peter Openshaw, head of respiratory infections at London's Imperial College, says intimate contact between cats and their owners heightens the risk of transfer and potentially lethal mutation.
He also says the transfer of bird flu from birds to
cats increases the risk of the virus strain mutating into one that passes more readily between humans - a scenario that scientists fear will create a devastating global pandemic.
However, the H5N1 strain does not jump easily to other species - and this applies to cats as well.
The World Health Organization says there is no present evidence that domestic cats play a role in the transmission cycle of H5N1 viruses. To date, no human case has been linked to exposure to a diseased cat.
And the head of the British Veterinary Association, Frieda
Scott-Park, says that we should all hang on to the
thought that current strains of the virus are
"really inefficient" at infecting non-bird
species.
Whatever the actual risks involved, these
developments have started to worry pet owners, and
specifically cat owners, across the globe. Unlike in
the United States, in Europe nearly all cats are
"outdoor" cats, and it is less practical
to restrict their movements. French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin
has urged cat owners not to let their pets stray into areas affected by bird
flu.
Related Resources
 Are
You Worried About Bird Flu?
 Indoor
or Outdoor Cats?
|
