Complain about a product or service

Iowa Cat Diagnosed with Swine Flu

First reported human-to-feline transfer of the illness

By Lisa Wade McCormick
ConsumerAffairs.com

November 5, 2009

• Three More Cases Of Swine Flu In Pets • FDA Expands Approved Use Of Swine Flu Vaccines To Include Infants And Children • CDC Ups Swine Flu Death Estimate To 4,000 • Iowa Cat Diagnosed with Swine Flu • Swine Flu Vaccine Not Keeping Pace With Demand • Word Is Out On Unapproved Swine Flu Products • Swine Flu Virus Found In Pig Sample • FDA Warns Of Internet Sales Of Swine Flu Drug Products • Gauge Swine Flu Symptoms With Online Tool • H1N1 Flu Spreading Rapidly Through U.S. • Preparing For Flu Season • FDA Approves Vaccines For Swine Flu • Video: Swine Flu Vaccine Running Behind Schedule • New iPhone App Locates Swine Flu, Infectious Diseases • CDC Makes Recommendations For Use Of Swine Flu Vaccine • FDA Authorizes Emergency Use Of Another Test For Swine Flu Virus • Experts Worry About Return Of Swine Flu • CDC Finds Swine Flu Still Hanging Around • Swine Flu Officially a Pandemic • CDC: Swine Flu May Have Peaked • Older People Appear More Resistant To Swine Flu • Swine Flu Claims Sixth U.S. Victim • Poll Finds Americans Concerned About Swine Flu • CDC Sees 'Encouraging' Swine Flu Signs • Swine Flu Spreads, But Relatively Few Deaths Reported • What to Do If You Get Flu-Like Symptoms • Swine Flu a Potential Problem for Cruise Ships • Swine Flu Spreads, As Do Scams • Swine Flu Tips for Child Care Providers • More Warnings Against Swine Flu Scams • Can the Right Mask Prevent Swine Flu? • No Reason To Panic Over Swine Flu • Watch Out For Swine Flu Scams • Swine Flu: What You Need to Know • HHS Declares Public Health Emergency for Swine Flu

Iowa health officials have confirmed the first official case of the 2009 H1NI influenza virus in a cat.

The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) on Tuesday said a 13-year-old indoor cat had contracted the virus from someone in its household.

“This was a human-to-feline transfer of the virus, that’s what we believe happened,” IDPH veterinarian, Dr. Ann Garvey, told ConsumerAffairs.com today. “There were two people in the household with symptoms of the virus.

“It is not common for cats to get the influenza A virus,” she added. “(But) this is not completely unexpected, as other strains of influenza have been found in cats in the past. There have been cases of cats getting the H5N1 Avian strain. And in those cases, there was no evidence that the cats transferred the virus back to humans. The cats became a dead-end host.”

The Iowa cat and its owners have recovered from their illnesses, Dr. Garvey said, and there are no signs the feline passed the virus to other people or animals.

Before this diagnosis, however, health officials had confirmed the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus in ferrets, pigs, and birds.

Dr. Garvey said the Iowa cat had symptoms that are similar to humans with the H1NI virus: malaise, loss of appetite, and respiratory issues. The cat, however, did not have a fever, she said.

The cat’s owners took the feline to the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center at Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, where it tested positive for the H1N1 virus.

“The test results came back late last week,” Garvey said, adding veterinarians gave the feline “supportive care” and made sure it did not become dehydrated. “Those tests were confirmed earlier this week.”

To protect your family’s pets from contracting the H1N1 virus, Dr. Garvey recommended the same “common sense” measures used to prevent exposure of the illness in humans:

• Wash your hands frequently;

• Cover your mouth when you cough and your nose when you sneeze;

• Minimize your contact with your dogs, cats, or other household pets if you have any flu-like symptoms

Pet owners who notice any signs of respiratory illness or other influenza-like symptoms in their animals should contact their veterinarians, Dr. Garvey said.

Meanwhile, the American Veterinary Medical Association is now tracking all cases of H1N1 in animals and will post updates on its Web site.

Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.

Share		Follow us on Twitter.