Calgary: Two house cats die after contracting H1N1 influenza
At least two cats in Calgary have died from H1N1 influenza, which are believed to be the 1st feline cases of pH1N1-09 in Canada, according to a CBC report Friday.
Dr Alistair Cribb at the U of C Faculty of Veterinary Medicine said they are spreading the word: “We’ve communicated this out to the veterinary community in Alberta because they need to be aware in case they see cats,” Cribb said. “We’ve all known this was a possibility, and we’ve informed the chief provincial veterinarian who has informed Alberta Health.”
It is likely the felines picked up the virus from humans, someone visiting the house over the holidays. Dr. Cribb notes that there are no known reports of cat-to-human transmission; however, it doesn’t mean it can’t happen.
These are not the only known cases of feline H1N1 influenza infection.
Cases have been reported in the past from Wisconsin, Oregon, California, Utah and Iowa.
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