By Carrie Allan
In early March, with fears of an avian influenza (bird flu) pandemic running high, some people in Europe reacted strangely to news of H5N1-infected birds in their area: They abandoned their cats.
A dead cat had been discovered on the German island of Ruegen, a site where many infected birds had also been found. Tests showed that the cat was infected with the disease, making him the first known European case of infection in a mammal.
Officials in the affected area tried to handle the news in a calm and reasonable way: They told people not to panic, and asked locals within a 2-mile radius to keep their cats indoors and their dogs leashed. But within a few days, pet guardians around the European Union (EU) were reacting fearfully, and already-crowded animal shelters began to see an influx of relinquished animals.
"We are getting calls from cat owners wanting to know if there are risks, people who are panicking and wondering what they should do with their cats, and people who are abandoning their cats," Serge Belais, president of SPA, a French animal protection society, told the Associated Press.
On North America's Doorstep
While H5N1 has not yet reared its ugly head on American shores, some experts are predicting it will arrive here sometime this year, turning up—most expect—in a poultry farm or migratory bird population. (The virus could also make its way to the United States through other means—the illegal exotic animal trade and cockfighting among them.) If this happens, The HSUS is concerned that public fear of the virus could cause similar reactions to those in Europe and unnecessarily cost beloved family pets their homes. American families care for their pets, but a concern for the human members of their families may lead them to think that giving up their animal friends is the way to keep safe.
We're pleased to report that it's not the case. Read some of the only good news you'll hear about bird flu, and get essential safety tips for your whole family.
The Good News about the Bad Bug
Michael Greger, M.D., Director of Public Health and Animal Agriculture in Farm Animal Welfare at The HSUS
, has spent the past year studying and writing about bird flu. His book on the subject,
Bird Flu: A Virus of Our Own Hatching will be published this summer. While Dr. Greger says the avian influenza threat is very serious, he says some scientists see a ray of hope in the fact that a major human outbreak has not yet occurred.
Some scientists think that there's something so strange about H5N1 that it may simply be impossible for the virus to pass from human to human.
If the avian influenza virus doesn’t mutate into a form easily transmissible between humans, there will be no H5N1 pandemic. What we’ll see here if the virus arrives on our shores is much what we’ve already seen in other countries: very rare sickness and death in people who work or live around chickens and other birds raised for meat, or who’ve otherwise come into contact with sick birds.
While we're not off the hook for a potential pandemic, it's good news for now. As Dr. Paul Offit, chief of infectious diseases at Children's Hospital in Philadelphia, recently told National Public Radio, "You won't have a pandemic until the virus spreads not only from person to person, but easily from person to person."
It's also good news for our pets: The way the virus currently spreads means you're not going to get this disease from your pets, and they're unlikely to get it from one another. As long as H5N1 maintains its current features, we can keep both our human and nonhuman family members safe.
Hope for the Best, Prepare for the Worst
That said, if bird flu does arrive in the United States in its current, bird-to-bird and bird-to-mammal form, many people will need to make lifestyle changes in order to stay healthy and safe. Read on for smart, sane advice on how to prepare now, and how to protect yourself and your animals should bird flu arrive in your area.
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If Bird Flu Arrives: Safety Tips for Your Family and Pets |
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 If bird flu comes to your part of the world, there are some basic steps you can take to keep your whole family safe and healthy.
 Stay up to date on breaking bird flu news through national news coverage and the web sites listed below.
Get in the habit of exercising good personal hygiene. Wash your hands with soap and water regularly, and especially before eating and handling food. Cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze or cough. Encourage kids to do the same.
If you eat chicken, make sure it's handled and prepared in such a way that eliminates the possibility of cross-contamination and is thoroughly cooked.
Be prepared for a pandemic. As is the case for any disaster, making an individual and family plan is essential. |
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Cats
Cats can become infected with H5N1.
Keep pet cats indoors. This will keep cats from stalking wild birds and from bringing home dead bird "treats."
Do not feed cats raw chicken.
The virus can pass from cat to cat; be cautious about handling stray cats in H5N1-affected areas, and do not let your own cats come in contact with strays. Contact your local animal shelter, animal control agency, or feral cat organization for assistance with stray cats.
Do not touch sick or dead stray cats. Report sick or dead cats to a local veterinarian, your community's health department, or animal control.
Consult a veterinarian if your cat shows signs of breathing trouble or nasal discharge.
Include your cat in planning for a pandemic. Have extra supplies of your cat's food and any medications. |
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Dogs
It is not clear whether dogs are susceptible to the virus, but it is advisable to take precautions.
When taking dogs outside, keep them restrained on a leash.
Make sure contact between dogs and wild birds or poultry (or their feces) is avoided; don’t let dogs pick up dead birds or other animals.
Include your dog in planning for a pandemic. Have extra supplies of your dog's food and any medications. |
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Pet Birds
Pet birds can become infected with H5N1 if they are exposed to infected birds or their secretions.
Keep pet birds indoors and do not allow them to have any contact with wild birds.
Do not introduce new birds into your home. If you do so, make sure they are first quarantined and tested for bird flu. Make sure everyone who touches your birds or maintains their cages has clean hands, clothes, and shoes (so that they don't accidentally track the germs from wild birds into your home).
Don't share contaminated supplies or housing with other bird owners.
Include your bird in planning for a pandemic. Have extra supplies of your bird's food and any medications.
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 Wild Birds
If you maintain a backyard bird feeder or bath, don't let kids or pets come in contact with it or with the surrounding areas.
Wear gloves when you clean the bath or refill the feeder and wash your hands afterward.
Avoid physical contact with wild birds and their byproducts (i.e. feathers, feces).
Keep children and pets away from wild birds too, and avoid areas contaminated with wild bird secretions. |
The HSUS strongly encourages individuals to read the materials available at the U.S. government's web site on planning for a flu pandemic. While the current situation merits a calm and cautious approach, should the virus mutate to become human-to-human transmissible, people will need to have be prepared to care for themselves (and their pets) under home quarantine conditions. The web site www.pandemicflu.gov contains excellent recommendations for individual preparedness; generally speaking, individuals will need extended supplies of food, water, and basic medications for themselves and their animals.
Carrie Allan is the associate editor of Animal Sheltering Magazine at The HSUS.
