Bird Flu Discovered In Germany In Domestic Cat - Testing Underway

[hatrack]

Zum ersten Mal ist das gefährliche Vogelgrippevirus in Deutschland auf ein Säugetier übergesprungen. Der Erreger wurde bei einer toten Katze festgestellt, die auf der Ostseeinsel Rügen gefunden worden war.

Ob die Katze auch an der für den Menschen gefährlichen Variante des H5N1-Virus starb, wird noch untersucht. Das Bundesagrarministerium rief Katzenhalter zu besonderen Schutzvorkehrungen auf, warnte aber vor Panik. "Katzen sollten in und um Schutzzonen zu Hause gelassen werden", sagte Ministeriumssprecherin Ulrike Hinrichs am Dienstag (28.2.2006) der Nachrichtenagentur dpa. Das Friedrich-Loeffler-Instituts (FLI) für Tiergesundheit riet Katzenbesitzern auf eine besondere Hygiene zu achten.

FLI-Präsident Thomas Mettenleiter betonte, dass Katzen sich infizieren können, wenn sie infizierte Vögel fressen. Das sei seit längerem aus Asien bekannt. Eine Ansteckung von Menschen durch infizierte Katzen sei aber bisher noch nicht nachgewiesen worden. Eine theoretisch nicht auszuschließende Ansteckung des Menschen könne vermutlich nur bei sehr innigem Kontakt mit infizierten Tieren erfolgen. Das Institut riet, mit Katzen aus H5N1-Gebieten zum Tierarzt zu gehen, falls die Tiere Anzeichen schwerer Erkältungen zeigen sollten. Die Landesregierung von Mecklenburg-Vorpommern veranlasste, dass ab sofort alle in den Überwachungsgebieten tot aufgefundenen Kleinsäuger, die mit Vögeln in Kontakt gekommen sein könnten, zu bergen und zu untersuchen sind.


EDIT

Rough translation:

For the first time in Germany, the dangerous bird flu virus has jumped to a mammal. The bug was confirmed in a dead cat, which had been found on the Baltic Sea island of Rugen.

Whether the cat also died of the same H5N1 variant which is dangerous to humans is now being investigated. The Federal Agriculture Ministry urged cat owners to be especially cautious, but (also) warned against panic. "Cats should be confined to protected zones in the house," said Ministry spokeswoman Ulrike Hinrichs on Tuesday to Deutsche-Presse Agentur. The Friedrich Loeffler Institute for Animal Health urged cat owners to pay particular attention to hygiene.

FLI President Thomas Mettenleiter emphasized that cats can become infected if they eat infected birds. This has long since been known in Asia. However, infections of people through infected cats has to date not yet been proven. Infection of humans is not out of the realm of possibility, but would probably happen only through intimate contact with infected animals. The Institute advised taking cats from the H5N1 areas to a veterinarian if they show signs of a bad cold. The state government of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (announced) that it would immeidately take the necessary steps to retrieve and study small dead mammals found in the zones under surveillance which may have come into contact with birds.

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1918847,00.html

[Avalux]

1. Hasn't been confirmed yet - please edit your subject line

"Whether the cat also died of the same H5N1 variant which is dangerous to humans is now being investigated."

Until it's confirmed, we don't really know and there's no point in getting folks worked up. If it is H5N1, the cat probably ate an infected bird. Still no evidence the virus has jumped species. :hi:

[jpak]

2. las vegas sun link

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/thrive/2006/feb/28/022801564.html

[Dead_Parrot]

3. Confirmed H5N1 - BBC article

but not which H5N1. (There's more than 1?! News to me...)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4758632.stm

A domestic cat in Germany has become the first European Union mammal to die of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu.

The cat was found dead at the weekend on the Baltic island of Ruegen, where dozens of birds infected with H5N1 have been found.

Further north, Sweden has detected "aggressive" bird flu in two wild ducks and is testing to confirm H5N1.
...
The H5N1 infection in the German cat was confirmed by officials at the national laboratory, the Friedrich Loeffler Institute, but tests are continuing to determine if it is the exact strain that has been found in birds.