Iowa Cat Catches Swine Flu

A cat in Iowa has the unlucky distinction of becoming the first feline to catch the H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AMVA) reported.

The 13-year-old orange cat became lethargic and stopped eating, drinking, and cleaning himself, the New York Times reported.

The kitty's vets at the College of Veterinary Medicine and Iowa State University initially suspected pneumonia, AVMA spokesperson Michael San Filippo told Paw Nation. But after ruling out other common cat diseases -- and discovering that two of the human family members had recently been sick -- the vets decided to test for swine flu. They confirmed that the cat had swine flu.

"As far as we know, this is the first case of H1N1 in cats," San Filippo said. The case is especially surprising, he said, because cats aren't usually susceptible to influenza.

Cats have been known to develop H5N1 bird flu after eating infected birds, but until now they've never picked up a flu virus from infected people. "There's really no evidence that they've gotten regular seasonal flu that humans get," he said.

The virus has also stricken pet ferrets in Oregon and Nebraska, San Filippo said, but it hasn't shown up in dogs yet.

There's no evidence that the sick cat passed the disease on to any people. "We don't want people to think of their pets as a danger to them," San Filippo told Paw Nation. At this point, he said, the bigger concern is that people with H1N1 might infect their pets.

If your fever spikes, you can take steps to keep your pets safe, he said. Wash your hands often, cover coughs and sneezes, and avoid close contact with your kitties and pooches, the same way you'd give space to any healthy family member. "When you're sick, dogs and cats might want to snuggle up with you in bed. There's a chance you could spread germs that way," he added.

Happily, the Iowa cat has almost fully recovered from its bout with H1N1. While the case caught animal health officials off guard, "nobody is pressing the panic button," San Filippo said.

H1N1 is a brand-new type of virus, with elements of swine, human, and bird flu. "We really don't know how it's going to behave," said San Filippo. "When you're dealing with infectious diseases, and people and animals living in such close proximity, it's definitely something we need to watch. And people are going to be doing that now."

Tags: cat, cat swine flu, CatSwineFlu, H1N1, swine flu, SwineFlu