Pet Bird Flu Information CenterBird Flu News for Pet Owners |
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The icons below are used to mark stories specific to a single species (cats, dogs, and birds). Note - other stories may cover multiple species.
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13 May 2006 "Audubon Seeks Cat Owners' Help" CasperStarTribune.ne (Wyoming) reports Audubon Wyoming recently asked cat owners to keep their pets inside. In addition to cats killing native birds and small animals, they also warned owners they "should be concerned about their animals bringing home bird flu." Although the disease has yet to be found in North America, it "is expected to eventually be brought to the continent by migrating birds."
8 May 2006 "Pet Shop in a Flap Over Bird Flu" Norwich Evening News 24 reports a mother brought some children to a pet store at Norfolk Retail Park in Costessey and purchased a bird cage and accessories, with the intent to come back the next day and buy a bird (budgie). When she brought the excited children back the next day, the store would not sell them a bird "claiming the company had put a halt on the sale of all caged birds in the wake of the avian flu scare." The mother and children were upset and disappointed.
7 May 2006 "Ohio Begins Tests to Clip the Wings of Avian Influenza CentreDaily (Pennsylvania) reports The owner of Gerber Poultry (includes a hatchery in Orrville and 92 Amish farms in a southern Wayne County and a processing plant in Kidron) met with the 92 growers over the winter and reminded them "they cannot have exotic birds around as pets because of the potential to spread disease to the
ial to spread disease to the flocks."
6 May 2006 "Protecting Cats From Bird Flu"> CBS News Early Show - Debbye Turner reports the Saturday Early Show resident Veterinarian, Dr. Debbye Turner, explained how cats could catch the disease and how to protect them.
She says cats would most likely contract the disease by eating an infected bird, especially waterfowl, or pigeons and other birds that interact with waterfowl. She provided the typical list of protection tips plus, do not feeding your cat raw poultry, including eggs and pointed out no vaccine is available to protect cats from H5N1.
5 May 2006 "Expert: Bird Trading May Spread Flu" Associated Press. This widely published story reported experts say "the global animal trade may be more likely to spread deadly avian flu than the migrating birds themselves." Authorities are proposing official monitoring of the estimated $10 billion global pet, wild animal and animal parts business.
30 April 2006 "To Protect Poultry, Even Pets to be on Bird Registry" Baltimore Sun reports the Maryland Dept of Agriculture is drafting a law to "require registration of pet birds - including parakeets, canaries and parrots if there are four or more in a household" in its efforts to prepare for combating an outbreak of avian influenza. There is no cost to register.
27 April 2006 "Taiwan Quick Take: Man Nabbed with Birds" Taipei Times (Taiwan) reports a customer arriving from China was caught at CKS International Airport with four small songbirds - Japanese White-eyes/Mejiros in a bird cage hidden in his carry-on luggage. China is a bird flu affected area, those smuggling birds to Taipei are subject to up to 3 years in prison and NT $150,000 or both.
21 April 2006 "Budgie Boffin Says Flu Should Ruffle No Feathers" Sunderland Today (UK) reports the a representative of the Sunderland Budgerigar Society says they think there is no danger there to pet bird owners. Pets (pet birds) can only get it from infected birds in the wild or from humans who have handled infected birds. He advises covering open flights.
17 April 2006 "Avian Flu Fears Spark Bird Dumpings" ThisIsLocalLondon.co.uk reports Wildlife experts report Enfield residents are trying to leave their pet birds with animal sanctuaries due to fear of bird flu. One Animal Rescue Centre reprots being approached by people offering birds. "The RSPCA has reported a national increase in people dumping their birds and a spokeswoman has urged Enfield's bird-owners to remain calm."
14 April 2006 "Suspected Bird Flu Outbreak in Ivory Coast" TodayOnline.com - AFP reports a suspected outbreak in a village in the Bondoukou region of Ivory Coast. Deaths of about 100 chickens and four dogs that ate their carcasses is causing a panic in the area.
13 April 2006 "Susceptibility of Animal Species to the H5N1 Asian Strain: Joint statement by the OIE and the FAO" United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization reports
"The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and FAO confirm that the animal species playing a role in the transmission and spread of highly pathogenic avian H5N1 influenza virus are essentially domestic and wild birds. Although some fifty non-domestic bird species have proved susceptible to infection with the virus, it would appear from the epidemiological data currently available that, among the wild birds implicated in the transboundary spread of the virus, aquatic birds play a major role." The OIE and FOA report that although cats are susceptible to the virus, "cats do not appear to play any discernable role in the transmission of the virus in the natural setting."
"The OIE and the FAO can thus confirm the statement issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 28 February 2006 that "there is no present evidence that domestic cats can play a role in the transmission cycle of H5N1 viruses"." However they still recommend cats in infected and sruveillance zones be kept indoors.
8 April 2006 Dogs, Birds But No Bird Dogs Effect Measure Blog reports on how the potential widespread use of antiviral drugs in animals (dogs) might increase the resistance of H5N1 and other "flu" virus to Tamiflu and other potential human treatments. The FDA is banning their use in some animals, but not banning the use of antibiotics in animal feed, which the blogger feels might be a more important action.
6 April 2006 "Scientists Let Cat Out of Bird Flu Bag" Globe and Mail.com (U.K.) reports
Dr. Peter Roeder and Indonesian colleagues with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) are setting up a study to see if cats are playing a role in the spread of H5N1. They are looking for infected cats in areas with poultry H5N1 outbreaks. Some human deaths seem to have had no contact with poultry. He wonders if cats could be the intermediary. Dr. Roeder and scientists from Erasmus Medical Center published a commentary exploring this issue in the journal Nature on Wednesday. They will also be collecting data on how many people own cats and if households have multiple cats.
6 April 2006 "Lock Up Your Cats" Edmonton Sun (Canada) reports "The Edmonton Humane Society is asking cat owners to lock up their felines to protect them from a highly contagious strain of the bird flu." The article goes on to point out there is no immediate risk, but its a good time to start bringing your cats indoors, as things could rapidly change.
5 April 2006 "If Bird Flu Hits U.S., Cats Should be Kept Indoors" ABC News reports Those living in areas where bird flu has been detected in poultry or wild birds should keep their cats indoors. Several scientist fear the role cats may play in spreading the disease is being overlooked. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control recommends keeping cats indoors if they live within about 6 miles of a confirmed outbreak of H5N1. Others suggest these precautions are premature until we learn what role cats may play in the spread of the virus.
5 April 2006 "Cats Must Be Included in Flu Precautions: Experts" Reuters reports what appears to be the original information in the ABC report above, plus they go on to for the first time suggest "there may be a case for developing a vaccine for cats as well". Earlier discussions had discounted preparing vaccines for cats due to the costs and time involved, plus the difficulties of doing so while simultaneously trying to keep on top of the latest mutations with a human vaccine. The article also reports cats excrete the virus in feces and through the respiratory tract at lower levels than chickens do. But scientists do not know how long they excrete it for or the amount needed to cause infection in other cats. They also do not know if it is possible to transmit the disease from cats to humans.
5 April 2006 "Dutch Warns Cats Could Play Role in Bird Flu Transmission, Mutation" Deutsche Presse-Agentur / Monsters and Critics.com reports Dutch scientists think its time for increased surveillance and precaution after experiments on cats at Rotterdam's Erasmus Medical Centre have shown the role cats could play in allowing the virus to mutate and more easily infect humans. The scientists recently published their concerns in the journal Nature. They were also critical of the World Health Organization (WHO) 's failure to report H5N1 cat deaths. Instead, WHO stated in February, there was "no present evidence that domestic cats play a role in the transmission cycle of H5N1 viruses."
4 April 2006 "Pigeon Prohibition Revisited" Morton Grove Champion - Pioneer Press (Chicago) reports the Village of Nile recently told a few families their pigeons violate a city ordinance that prohibits "the keeping, propagation, or culture" of pigeons.
One family with about 70 racing pigeons has kept them locally for several years and attribute the recent concerns to bird flu issues. They are considering moving.
4 April 2006 "Indiscriminate Slaughter of Rare Parrots and Cockatoos" PRWeb Press Release Newswire reports although bird flu has not been well documented in a single large parrot or cockatoo, some spectacular and endangered species are being killed in attempts to prevent the spread of the virus in Asia.
3 April 2006 "Bird Flu Could Limit Park's Use" Jackson Hole Star Tribune (Wyoming) reports public parks where geese and ducks congregate could be closed if bird flu turns up in Wyoming waterfowl. (Our Comments - this could limit areas to exercise dogs).
3 April 2006 "Wild Bird Smugglers Pose Avian Flu Threat" Manila Standard Today reports smuggling of wild birds is becoming a major problem for those trying to contain the bird flu virus. The article is part one of more coverage to follow.
2 April 2006 "Pet Birds, Feeders Pose Little Risk of Spreading Flu" The Columbus Dispatch (Knight Rider Newspapers) reports many bird lovers are concerned about pet birds or wild birds in their backyard giving them bird flu. A veterinarian and publisher of Clinical Avian Medicine (www.clinicalavianmedicine.com), "agrees that you’re not at risk by continuing to feed your free-flying feathered-friends". He also points out the possibility of individuals becoming infected by wild birds is "Extremely remote at this point."
28 Mar 2006 "Cats May Spread Bird Flu" Detroit Free Press "Around the World: Bangkok, Thailand" section reports felines infected with bird flu may spread the virus to people. Thailand scientists are saying, "Pet cats should be scrutinized for the disease in areas where it is endemic in birds." Domestic cats that prey on wild birds are at risk per studies by two Thai Universities and a government resesearch center.
25 March 2006 "Jordan Destroys Poultry Within 3-km Radius of Site Where Turkeys Died of Bird Flu" AP Worldstream reports Jordan destroyed ALL poultry withing a 1.9 mile radius of a site where bird flu killed up to four domestic turkeys. (Our Comment - this is an indication of the seriousness of the disease as well as an indication of a potential risk to pet bird owners near large poultry facilities. Pet birds and other pets may be "culled" to prevent further spread of the disease).
23 March 2006 "Flu-Fearing Cat Owners Put Down Pets" Copenhagen Post Online reports several cat owners are contacting veterinarians about euthanasia. Warnings from the Veterinary and Food Administration to not let pets roam free (keep inside or an a leash) have been difficult to follow for those with pets that normally live outside. The Veterinary and Food Administration has warned people not to feed stray cats in areas of infection,while others suggest not feeding stray cats may encourage them to eat dead birds and travel outside the infected zone, spreading the virus further.
23 March 2006 "There is No Need for Panic Over Avian Flu" Ashfield Today (U.K) interviews a parrot expert who says some parrot owners in the U.K. have taken their birds to shelters. One owner wanted a healthy parrot but down by a vet. The expert says this fear is unwarranted. Bird flu is not yet confirmed in the U.K. and as long as birds are in the home and the disease has not yet mutated to widespread infection of humans, the birds will be safe. She reports wild bird feed sales are also down.
21 March 2006 "How a Pandemic Takes Wing" Business Week Online reports
Scientists are concerned the disease may infect the U.S. cat population (currently about 75 million household cats and 40 to 60 million feral / wild cats) when they eat infected birds. Larry Glickman, an epidemiology professor at Purdue, says "If it gets into cats in this country it will spread like crazy." He also points our many owners sleep in bed with their cats. "The potential that they could spread it to humans is very large." A veterinary pathologist at New York's Bronx Zoo, Tracey McNamara, is concerned about the feces of infected wild birds, a known reservoir for the virus. "Geese produce a pound of feces a day and some studies have found that viruses can survive there for up to a week." (Our Comment - The Goose feces virus life time information needs to be spread to those running dogs in areas with Public Geese flocks).
April 2006 Issue - "God Save the Ravens" Smithsonian April 2006 Pgs. 30-31 reports England's Tower of London has been roamed by a group of Ravens for centuries. Six clipped wing ravens now constitute this royal flock. The tower's Raven Master moved them to cages inside in February due to avian influenza concerns. The two page spread includes a large photo. We later noticed NPR covered the same story on Feb 24th. (Our comment - We would anticipate this with other well known public flocks such as the Peabody Hotel marching ducks)
21 March 2006 "Hunting Season To Go Ahead" The Malta Independent Online reports the country (Malta) announced yesterday dove and quail season will go ahead as planned. They also mentioned "the European Union had clearly ruled it had no intention whatsoever to recommend increased culling of wild birds to combat the current bird flu crisis but has no intention either to advocate a general ban on bird hunting."21 March 2006 "FDA Moves to Stop the Use of 2 Drugs in Poultry Amid Bird-Flu Fears" Wall Street Journal reports the FDA is proposing to ban, beginning this summer the use of "off-label nonhuman uses" of Tamiflu, Relenza, Symmetrel, and Flumadine (drugs currently being stockpiled for potential human use in event of Bird Flu outbreaks in the United States). The proposed ban is an attempt to prevent further mutation of the virus in birds before a potential jump to humans. If the virus were to mutate to be resistant to these drugs, it would leave less choices for human treatment. Under current FDA laws veterinarians are allowed to prescribe antiviral drugs for "off-label nonhuman" uses, but leaves the FDA the right to ban them if they cause public health concerns. This marks the first time the FDA has moved to ban human antiviral drugs for nonhuman use. The law is open for public comment till May 22 and will become a final rule June 30th. The article says these drugs are rarely used to treat infected poultry because the cost of the drug and treatment exceeds the cost of the bird. A spokesman for Tamiflu says they have heard of isolated cases of the drug being used to treat dogs, but "Tamiflu is approved for use in people not animals". A Relenza spokesman said they had not studied the impact of their inhaled product on animals and support the FDA decision. (Our comment - its not hard to imagine individuals stockpiling Tamiflu for their pets and giving it to them themselves.) The official FDA press release says it is for chickens, turkeys and ducks, but the Wall Street Journal article hints the intent of the companies is to include pets as well. See more info below.
20 March 2006 "Poultry Sector Crows for Respite in Karnataka" Business Standard (India) reports on Thursday (16 March) about 2,000 birds were found dead in a pond at Shidlaghatta in Kolar district (India). "It is also reported that about 8-10 dogs died after consuming the dead chicken in Kolar district." G Krishnappa, director, Institute of Animal Health & Veterinary Biologicals said there is no bird flu in Karnataka and the deaths may be by other diseases that normally occur in the summer. He said, "There is no reason for worry." (Our comment - If these turn out to actually be H5N1 deaths, they may be only the second or third dog death/deaths reported in the media.)
19 March 2006 "Dogs Eat Chicken, Die; Probe Ordered" MidDay (India) reports two "street dogs" died after reportedly consuming dead chickens lying near a poultry farm causing a Bird Flu scare in at Ramgarh in the Jharkhand's Hazaribag district. Officials have asked for a report within 24 hours. (Our comment - If these turn out to actually be H5N1 deaths, they may be only the second or third dog death/deaths reported in the media.)
19 March 2006 "Bird Flu Invades the Congo" Sunday Vision (Congo) reports at least 260 chickens and ducks are suspected of dying of bird flu recently, migratory birds were among them. Six dead pigeons brought in as samples from Kinshasa, have been sent to South Africa for laboratory analysis. A cat which ate one of the dead pigeons also died.
15 March 2006 "India Fights Bird Flu, Virus Kills Azeri Dog" Reuters reports
The Soviet State of Azerbaijan said on Wednesday March 15th that bird flu had been detected in a stray dog found in the capital Baku on March 9. The same article reports H5N1 infections in Germany in cats and a marten (a weasel-like creature).
8 March 2006 Schrdingers Cat: Dead or Alive Effect Measure Blog reports some cats found infected with the disease do not appear to be sick.
7 March 2005 "Purple Martin Store Addresses the Avian 'Bird Flu' Flu Issue on its Web Site" PRWeb Press Release reports the store's efforts to educate the public to continue to provide support to purple martins in their area.
6 March 2006 "Austrian Cats Get, Then Neat, Bird Flu; Health Care Experts Plan for Pandemic" Yahoo News- AFP
reports the virus was found in mouth swab samples taken Feb 22nd from three cats at Noah's Ark Animal Shelter near Graz. The shelter director says they could have come in contact with wild birds, while the head of the province veterinary services suspects the transmission happened via food or excrement. All 170 cats at the shelter are being tested for bird flu. The three cats originally tested are all three alive and two of them no longer test positive for the virus. This shelter was also the site of the first European Union H5N1 case in poultry on February 22nd. The infected birds had been caged next to dogs and cats thinking the disease could not transmit to them.
6 March 2006 "Bird Flu in Cats Sparks WHO Fears" CNN reports H5N1 virus has been found in Austria in several cats in the southern region of Styria, a rural area which has reported outbreaks of the virus in wild swans and ducks. A dead cat in northern Germany was found to have the virus last week. And Two dead swans died on H5N1 in northern Poland.
3 March 2006 "Bird Flu Quail Hunt Suspended in Morocco" Morocco Times reports the Moroccon government suspended quail hunting due to avian flu concerns.
3 March 2006 - "Pet-rified: The Avian-lu Outbreak in Wild Birds in a Number of Nations Worries Bird Fanciers and is Affecting Some Retailers. Denver Post reports Shoppers are voicing concerns about the disease before entering a Denver bird store. A normal busy time of year is being cut by bird flu concerns.
3 March 2006 "Budgie Owners in Bird Flu Panic". Coventry Evening Telegraph (U.K.) reports 12 birds have been given to a bird sanctuary after owners became fearful of contracting the disease.
1 March 2006 "Use of Antiviral Drug in Dogs Sparks Concern" Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association News
reports veterinarian use of Tamiflu in dogs to treat Canine Influenza (this is NOT bird flu) is causing concern because little is known of the drug's use in dogs and if it even works. (Our comments - this may soon extend to bird flu applications).
1 March 2006 " Bird Flu: Are Pet Cats at Risk?" BBC News reports on the implications of the recent discovery of H5N1 in a dead German cat. One professor urges vaccination of cats since we come in close proximity to them, but acknowledges there is little incentive for pharmaceutical companies to develop broadly protective vaccines for cats because "such risk had a high risk of failure with the prospect of low financial returns." Another professor pointed out "cats tend to go for sick birds" so they will likely be catching infected birds.
1 March 2006 "Cat Curfews Imposed Amid Bird Flu Scare"TimesOnline reports Four European countries have imposed restrictions on the movements of cats after a cat died of Bird Flu in Germany, probably after eating an infected bird. Many experts spoke on the media as pet owners feared they might catch the disease from their pets. The German government announced "all cats must be kept indoors in bird flu-affected zones. In addition, dogs must be kept on leashes, and all animals watched for signs of strange behavior."
1 March 2006 "Bird-Flu Infected Cat in Germany Raises Alarm" Vancouver Sun (Canada) via Canadian Press and Daily Telegraph. The death of a cat at Ruegen Germany has a German research group suggesting carnivores should be included (dogs, foxes) in those receiving special attention in infected areas.
1 March 2006 "Statement From Cats Protection Regarding Avian Influenza" Cats Protection press release. Cats Protection, a U.K. welfare charity for cats reports the risk to cats and humans is small. They also offer some suggestions for reducing the exposer of cats to the disease. We added them to our list of suggestions for those living in infected areas.
1 March 2006 "An Infectious Idea" Calgary Herald (Canada) reports in December, the Herald endorsed the concept of cat licensing for the first time and now encourages the city Council to move foward with cat licensing with the threat of bird flu looming.
1 March 2006 "Bird Flu: Are Pet Cats at Risk" BBC News Online reports an increased nervousness since the death of a German cat among cat owners A U.K. professor of health says the risk of cats contracting the disease from catching and killing sick birds is real, but "not huge". Another U.K. professor is concerned of the closeness between cats and their owners, with the resulting possibility of transmitting the disease from pet to owner.
1 March 2006 "Slovene Health Body Warns About Contact With Cats in Bird Flu Risk Areas" BBC Monitoring European reports the Institute of Public Health in Slovenia called for all cat owners within 10 kilometers of where H5N1 has been detected in wild birds to keep their cats inside effective 1 March.
1 March 2006 More On House Cats Bird Flu and Indonesia Effect Measure Blog reports on the growing concerns of cats becoming widely infected with bird flu.
March 2006 - Can Cats Spread Avian Flu? Nature. Vol.440 No.9 (March 2006). A few cats are beginning to contract avian flu. Their ability to / or not to spread the disease is not yet understood.
28 Feb 2006 "German Cat Gets Deadly Bird Flu" BBC (U.K.) reports domestic cat in Germany (on the Baltic Island of Ruegen)
"has become the first European Union mammal to die of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu". It was found dead over the weekend.
25 Feb 2006 "U-Turn Means Owners Can Keep Pet Birds" South China Morning Post reports the government has changed its mind on a proposed pet bird ban covering chickens, ducks, geese, quail and pigeons kept as pets. A grandfather clause will allow people to keep these pets if they had them before the new law went into force on February 13th as long as they have proper biosecurity measures in place. Previously, only 228 licenses had been requested, mostly by racing pigeon breeders, many with other birds had been hiding them.
27 Nov 2005 "Pet Bird Buyers Asking Sellers About Avian Flu" USA Today reports PetSmart recently put flyers in U.S. stores explaining H5N1 is not yet in the U.S.. A major concern is illegal trade in exotic birds. An administrator at the USDA encourages bird buyers to ask sellers where the birds came from. He said larger birds will have a leg band indicating where they originated. The U.S. currently bans bird imports on a country by country basis. In October, the European Union shut down all live bird
untry by country basis. In October, the European Union shut down all live bird imports till Jan 31st.
23 Nov 2005 "Shanghai to Ban Aales of Pet Birds Amid Increasingly Tough Anti-flu Measures" AP Worldstream reports city and government officials have formulated a plan to ban sales of pet birds.
25 Oct 2005 "Perspective: Here is Real Risk of Unleashing Bird Flu ; As Fears Over Avian Flu Reach Fever Pitch, Nick Allen Looks at How the Crisis Will Affect the Pet Bird Industry" Birmingham Post (U.K.) reports Britain is the biggest importer of parrots in Europe. Many are sold through pet fairs in school halls and scout huts. This process could be a hotbed for infection. A ban on live imports could still an estimated 250,000 exotic birds smuggled into Britain every year.
23 Oct 2005 "Don't Panic: Pet Bird Owners Told After Flu Outbreak" Agence France Presse (AFP) reports the finding of a dead parrot with H5N1 that was recently imported from South America has raised fears among bird owners. It reports symptoms include swelling of the head, lethargy, a loss of appetite, and in poultry, a decline in the laying of eggs. But in some cases, their are no warning signs.
20 Oct 2005 "Cats as Bird Flu Detectors" CNN Money reports the CDC, Purdue University and Banfield, The Pet Hospital are using Banefield's PetWare database of 8 to 9 million pets to detect viral outbreaks. Since there is no national database of human health care (because hospitals won't coordinate with each other) household pets could be the first signs of an outbreak. Cats will serve as sentinels for bird flu.
27 Sep 2005 Indonesias Birds in Hand Effect Measure Blog reports the BBC suggested mass killings of birds to prevent spreading of the disease is being resisted by Indonesians that love their birds similar to U.K. and U.S. pet owners as seen in recent U.S. Hurricane evacuation efforts.
29 Oct 2004 Thai Bird Smuggler Carries Avian Flu to Europe. Science. Vol.306. 29 Oct 2004. A Thai was caught illegally transporting two endangered mountain hawk eagles, both infected with H5N1 at a Brussels airport. He had carried them in his carry on luggage.
22 Oct 2004 "Bird Flu Infected 1,000 Dutch Researcher Says" Science Vol.306 (22 Oct 2004) Page 590. reports at least 1,000 people contracted avian influenza during a Dutch outbreak last year. This outbreak was H7N7 (NOT H5N1). Wearing masks and gloves did not seem to prevent infection among poultry workers. Among 62 households contacts of conjunctivitis (Pink Eye) patients, 33 became infected. This large figure seemed in part due to the increased probability of contracting the disease if you had a pet bird in the home. "Perhaps, because the birds replicated the virus too". (Our Comments - this may provide insights into the way H5N1 will behave.)
10 Feb 2004 "Lovebirds Fall Foul of Avian Flu Fears" CNN reports 350 lovebirds imported from Amsterday to the Philippines for an aviary in a restaurant were destroyed when 8 died since arriving February 4th. The Philippine Dept of Agriculture ordered them killed due to fear of bird flu and lack of a proper import permit. The article reported no testing was done before they were destroyed.
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