Cat in Iowa, First Confirmed Case of Swine Flu Virus in Felines

First Confirmed Case of Swine Flu (H1N1) in Cats

November 4th, 2009 by Jeffrey P

Source: WebMD

It’s official, the Swine Flu virus (H1N1) is not just for people and pigs. A veterinarian at Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine has diagnosed and successfully treated a cat with the swine flu virus. This is the first confirmed case in the United States of swine flu in a feline. Several members of the 13-year old cat’s family had symptoms of the flu prior to the cat becoming ill. So while it has not been confirmed it looks like the cat might have contracted the virus from one of the family members. To date there has also been two confirmed cases in ferrets; one in Oregon and one in Nebraska.

Be aware of the four-legged people around you and cover you mouth when you sneeze in their presence as well. You are not only a risk to your family members and co-workers but also your 4-legged family members.

Source: KHOU