By Tim Otterson, DVM and PEF President
Everyone is buzzing about the flu these days. People are washing their hands more, covering their mouths when they cough, staying home from work when ill and scheduling vaccinations for themselves and their family members. But what about pets? Are they at risk? By now, many of you have learned that a cat in Iowa was diagnosed in October with the H1N1 strain of the influenza virus (swine flu). The flu is a remarkably adaptive virus and has a long history of being transmitted between different species.
Every winter a new strain of the flu spreads through the human population causing fever, pain, coughing and sneezing and sometimes progresses into serious respiratory disease that can be fatal in at-risk individuals. Influenza is commonly diagnosed in people, pigs, ferrets, and many species of birds, and has also been documented to occur, although rarely, in horses, dogs, cats and rabbits. The signs are generally the same in animals as they are in people, and the virus can be fatal. The influenza virus has caused great concern recently among veterinarians involved in the poultry and swine industries. You may recall that in 2004 the H5N1 influenza strain (called avian flu) caused near panic that both wild and domestic birds would be infected and devastate the poultry industry.
For the veterinarian caring for companion animals, the primary species of concern regarding the flu has always been the domestic ferret. In a case that occurred in Nebraska recently, four ferrets were confirmed to have contracted H1N1 from a human family member. Sadly, one of the ferrets died from the flu. In recent years, a specific canine influenza strain has been documented, and there is now a vaccine available for dogs and puppies. Given that the flu virus is new in dogs, it is uncertain how important a canine influenza vaccination really is. The virus is spread from dog to dog and can cause symptoms resembling kennel cough. Dogs that spend time at boarding kennels, doggy day-care, grooming facilities or animal shelters are at higher risk. Many vets don’t even offer the vaccine, and, as of yet, it is not required by local grooming or boarding facilities. No dogs have been diagnosed with the H1N1 strain yet.
The cat that recently had the H1N1 flu strain lived in a household where at least one person had the flu, and almost certainly the cat contracted the virus from a family member (and not the other way around). The 13-year-old pet was taken to the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine where it was confirmed that the cat had the H1N1 strain of the flu. “Two of the members of the family that owns the pet had suffered from influenza-like illness before the cat became ill,” said Ann Garvey, DVM, public health veterinarian at the Iowa Department of Health. The cat recovered with supportive care as do the vast majority of individuals who are infected, but the list of species and cases goes on. In October, the USDA confirmed H1N1 in pigs at the Minnesota State Fair, which were actually the first confirmed cases in the US swine population. In addition, another housecat was confirmed to have H1N1 in Park City, Utah just recently.
Practicing veterinary medicine has its diagnostic challenges. Many cats and dogs suffer from diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tracts that can mimic the influenza virus. In cats, the herpes and calici viruses are very common and only transmitted between cats. As a small animal practitioner, I can’t help but wonder when I am advising a pet owner on the supportive care required to pull a cat through an upper respiratory infection – could this could be a cat with the flu? While this is very unlikely, it certainly is possible. And if you are wondering if you will get the flu from your pets, they are much more likely to contract the flu from you. In fact, the latest from the CDC is that over 50 million Americans have contracted H1N1 so far and about 4,000 people have died. Clearly, this virus is a much larger concern for people than pets.
Image: Mr. Pickles by Sherry Burns