[quote]The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine confirmed that a 13-year-old cat whose owners had experienced flu-like symptoms contracted H1N1 (swine) flu.
“This may be the first instance where we have documentation that transmission occurred involving cats or dogs,” CDC spokesman Tom Skinner told the Associated Press.
The cat’s symptoms included:
Lethargy
Difficulty breathing
Loss of appetite
Though influenza is known to cross species, we’ve seen that less with this strain, though it’s been confirmed in birds and ferrets. In fact, many veterinarians have been telling clients that transmission from humans to cats and dogs or vice versa is beyond unlikely. This cat changes that.
To protect your pets, experts suggest taking the same precautions you would to prevent spreading the flu to other people, including getting the vaccine, wearing a mask, keeping some distance and washing your hands.
I used to have several pics of cats with masks during SARS.
Today on the news they were advising against cuddling and kissing your pets… disgusting human germs, you know.[/quote]
Yeah well it is not a good idea to kiss your dog around the face or anywhere in fact. Unless of course your dog is a house dog and then that is probably less dangerous than kissing humans.
If your girlfriend had just spent the last hour licking and sticking their nose into the cracks and crevices of Taiwan’s “side walks” and roads then would you kiss her ? (my dogs are terriers so perhaps more into the dirty places than poodle or Huskie type dogs).
Ah wish I had never asked that question on here probably some weird people into that kind of thing.
