For First Time, Flu Spreads From Birds

Yahoo News ^ | Melissa Eddy

[Kjobs]

VIENNA, Austria - Three cats have tested positive for the deadly strain of bird flu in Austria's first reported case of the disease spreading to an animal other than a bird, state authorities said Monday.

The sick cats were among 170 living at an animal shelter where the disease was detected in chickens last month, authorities said.

The World Health Organization called bird flu a greater global challenge than any previous infectious disease, costing global agriculture more than $10 billion and affecting the livelihoods of 300 million farmers.

[snip]

Dr. Margaret Chan, who is spearheading WHO's efforts against bird flu, told disease experts meeting in Geneva to discuss bird flu preparations that the organization's top priority was to keep the deadly strain from mutating into a form easily passed between humans. That could trigger a global pandemic.

Since February, the virus has spread to birds in 17 new countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, she said.

"We truly feel that this present threat and any other threat like it is likely to stretch our global systems to the point of collapse," said Dr. Mike Ryan, WHO's director of epidemic and pandemic alert and response.

[Kjobs]

We're all gonna die. Seriously.

[tx_eggman]

For First Time, Flu Spreads From Birds

To cats ... it has already spread from birds to humans ... just not contagiously from human to human.

So, if I don't add cats to my diet I'm in no more danger than I was before.

[tx_eggman]

We're all gonna die. Seriously. That's a given. Death is batting 1.000 with the exception of Enoch.

[Palladin]

Wouldn't it be great if the bird flu just crosses over to cats, and no other species?

Think of it-- a world without cats!!!

[mother22wife21]

I think the birds are just terrorizing the cats for a change.

[NRA2BFree]

Three cats have tested positive for the deadly strain of bird flu in Austria's first reported case of the disease spreading to an animal other than a bird, state authorities said Monday.

That's not true. A cat in Germany died last week from eating a bird that had bird flu.

[To Hell With Poverty]

Uh-oh kitty ping

[Palladin]

;)

[steve86]

What's the problem with the sentence? Germany isn't Austria, right?

[trillabodilla]

"Enoch"

...and don't forget Elijah!

[ex-Texan]

Here kitty, kitty, nice kitty . . . Arrrgh . . .

[Slings and Arrows]

---

[3catsanadog]

Bite your tongue!!!

For shame . . .

3 cats

[kajingawd]

if the cats could just learn to cook the birds...silly kitties.

[Travis McGee]

The sick cats were among 170 living at an animal shelter where the disease was detected in chickens last month, authorities said.

Were the cats infected without direct contact with the infected chickens? In that case, this is a major step. Until now, only consumers of infected birds have become sick.

[OB1kNOb]

"We're all gonna die. Seriously. That's a given. Death is batting 1.000 with the exception of Enoch.

And Elijah.

[nopardons]

Gee...just keep the kitties inside; problem solved!

What's happened to common sense?

[Slings and Arrows]

What's happened to common sense?

It's not all that common.

[nopardons]

I guess not. *sigh*

[Lx]

That would be a pretty sucky world.

Seriously though, people need to keep their cats indoors. It is better and safer for the cat and would stop the spread of this disease as well as others plus you don't have to worry about other problems like cars as well as cats attacking birds.