Iowa Cat First Feline To Get H1N1 Swine Flu

The 13-year-old cat, unnamed in the report, was treated last week at Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine in Ames, Iowa. It has since recovered. The H1N1 virus also has been confirmed in two ferrets, one in Nebraska and one in Oregon, but both of those animals died.

It's this same sort of cross-species mutation that leads to viruses such as Ebola or Marburg crossing from monkeys into humans. Those viruses typically infect simians first, but can cross to humans, which is when you see an Ebola, Marburg, or other filovirus outbreak.

While there is no H1N1 swine flu vaccine for pets, veterinarians indicate that taking precautions, similar to what you would do to avoid infecting humans, is the best way to protect them. Two of the three people who live with the cat had the flu before the cat got sick.

The cat was an indoor cat, and thus had plenty of exposure to the H1N1 virus from the other residents. It was lethargic, had a loss of appetite and appeared to have trouble breathing after it became infected. Many times, the only symptom an animal will show is lack of appetite, so owners need to keep that in mind.

The veterinarians stated that a cat coming down with swine flu is not unexpected. Other flu strains have been found in cats before. Oh, and besides the cat, the humans recovered as well.