World's First Cat Catches Swine Flu

Veterinary and Federal officials in the United States have confirmed that a 13-year old cat got swine flu, and was treated last week at the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine in Ames. It has also been confirmed that the cat has recovered completely, which is really good news from a medical perspective. Although, a ferret each from Nebraska and Oregon who had contracted the deadly virus, didn't manage to make it.

Veterinarian, Dr. Brett Sponseller, who treated the cat, said that a couple of individuals in the house where the cat stayed had flu-like symptoms, after which the cat became sick. It started showing signs of lethargy, appetite loss, and also breathing problems. Though the feline was treated and has managed to recover completely, experts believe that it is still not very clear as to how many cats can and would be affected by swine flu. As there has not been many cases, it is really not easy to assess much as of now. It is also not clear if other animals and pets too can be infected by the H1N1 virus. The only thing that can be done right now is to take similar precautions that are taken by humans.

This is the first case of H1N1 being transferred from humans to a cat, but the good thing is that the animal was treated and survived. As we speak, research is going on in full swing to understand the implications and preventive measures related to both animals and humans. Now everyone is keeping their fingers crossed so that there aren't more surprises like this in store for us ahead.