1st May 2006

Bird Flu And Cats - Experts Say 'Don't Panic'

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We were all shocked in early March by media reports of a cat dying of Avian Flu. Suddenly we realised that this potential epidemic may not only be of concern to those who keep birds. But is there a need to panic and lock up our pets? Should we only allow them out under supervision or keep them inside until the danger is passed? We’ve gathered the advice from leading UK experts to help you make a decision on what action to take.

What is avian flu?

Government department Defra – the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, describes avian influenza as ‘a highly infectious disease affecting many species of birds, including commercial, wild and pet birds’.

It explained in early March that, ‘The highly pathogenic H5N1strain of the virus has been found in several European Union (EU) member states in recent days. This increases the likelihood that H5N1 may be found in the UK. However, we believe that the existing precautionary measures that we have in place remain sufficient and appropriate for the time being.

All people that keep poultry and other domestic birds should remain vigilant for signs of the disease and all keepers should maintain a high level of biosecurity to reduce the risk of introducing the disease.

Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer Fred Landeg made a statement on the current situation on 22 February. He made it clear that Defra's priority is to ensure that we would be able to eradicate an outbreak of avian influenza as quickly and effectively as possible. He said, ‘Early detection and slaughter of infected birds and dangerous contacts, and the imposition of movement controls around infected premises provide the most effective method of achieving this. We have eradicated previous outbreaks of avian influenza successfully in domestic birds using this method.’

But what about pet cats?

On 1 March the BBC reported the discovery of a German cat who died of bird flu - the first mammal found with the H5N1 virus in Central Europe. It reported that scientists have known for at least two years that felines could catch the deadly bird flu virus - it was found in 2004 in Thailand in two domestic cats. Also big cats who had been fed infected chicken carcasses in a Thai zoo were killed by H5N1.

The first thing to note is that the dead cat was discovered in an area of Germany where dozens of birds had died from H5N1. It was not killed by a chance encounter with a sparrow in an otherwise risk-free domestic garden.

The BBC spoke to Paul Hunter, professor of health protection at the University of East Anglia, who pointed out that like all predators, felines hunt weaker animals. ‘Cats tend to go for sick birds, so it is not unexpected if cats catch and kill infected birds,’ he told the BBC news website.

There is a risk of cats getting the H5N1 virus, but according to Dr Hunter, it is ‘not huge’. He notes that in affected areas in Asia, where people live in close proximity with poultry, hundreds of thousands of humans have handled infected birds - and yet less than 200 are known to have contracted the virus.

Is there a cat-to-human transmission risk?

Professor Peter Openshaw, head of respiratory infections at London's Imperial College, told the BBC that the German discovery could represent a worrying development because intimate contact between cats and their owners heightens the risk of transfer and potentially lethal mutation. ‘It would be a risk because of the very intimate contact that people have with their cats,’ he said.

Professor Openshaw fears the development also increases the risk of the virus strain mutating into one that passes more readily between humans. But Dr Hunter argues that there is little cause for alarm on this issue too. He says, ‘The risk of your cat getting bird flu from a bird is small, the risk of your getting it from your cat is equally small. A small risk within a small risk is a very small risk.’

Beth Skillings BVSc MRCVS, Head of Veterinary Services at Cats Protection echoes his sentiments. On 1st March she issued a statement urging pet owners not to panic about their pets’ health, or their own health, following the death of a domestic cat from bird ‘flu in Germany.

‘We urge pet owners to be sensible and keep things in perspective,’ she said. ‘There is no need for owners to rehome their cats, or have them euthanized, because of fears of infection with bird flu. Furthermore, there is no need to keep cats indoors.’

‘The risk of cats catching bird flu is small – it mainly happens through felines eating infected poultry – but let’s remind ourselves that the H5N1 has not been found in this country. And even in areas of the world where bird ‘flu is present, there have not been large numbers of deaths in mammals from the disease,’ she continued.

There have been no recorded cases of cat to human infection from the virus. Cats do not have their own influenza virus (unlike humans or poultry) so the concern of cats acting as a host in which the virus changes to become transmissible between people is extremely unlikely. Furthermore, there is limited evidence of cat-to-cat transmission of the virus in a non-laboratory environment.

What should cat owners do to reduce the risks further?

Cats Protection suggests that concerned owners could try to keep their cats away from wild waterfowl and poultry and, in line with Defra guidelines, safely dispose of any wild birds and poultry carcasses that their cat presents in a sealed bag in household rubbish outside using rubber gloves. We recommend that raw meat or poultry should not be fed to cats, not only because of avian flu, but because of the risk of salmonella and other infections.

Owners of cats that hunt could also try and keep their pets in at dawn and dusk to lessen predatory activity. Normal hygiene practices should also be observed when handling cat or bird faeces.

Spring migration of waterfowl heading east will start soon. Infected waterfowl will then hopefully carry the virus in the opposite direction to the UK. In the meantime, any unusual deaths of waterfowl or waders should be reported to the Defra Helpline (08459 335577).

Can I vaccinate my cat?

No vaccine is licensed to prevent bird flu in cats. It seems there is little incentive for pharmaceutical firms to put money into research for a vaccine because such research has a high risk of failure with the prospect of low financial returns.

However, the current thinking seems to be that such a measure would be premature in any case. Bird flu has not hit the UK’s shores yet, and unless your cat is kept on or very near to a bird farm or small-holding, the risks of it even coming into contact with an infected bird seem minimal at present.

Check List

• The risk of a domestic cat catching bird flu in the UK is tiny.
• The risk of a human catching bird flu from a cat is even smaller.
• If your cat is a hunter, try to minimize their hunting by keeping them inside at dawn and dusk.
• Keep your cat away from water fowl if possible.
• Discard of any ‘presents’ of dead birds wearing gloves and placing them in a sealed bag in your outside rubbish bin.
• If your cat is sick take it to the vet as normal.
• If you find a dead bird in unusual circumstances report it to the Defra Helpline on 08459 335577.

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