Nov. 5, 2009

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A cat in Iowa has tested positive for H1N1 swine flu, the first time a cat has been diagnosed with the new pandemic strain, the American Veterinary Medical Association said on Wednesday.

A pet cat has caught the H1N1 (swine flu) virus according to the Iowa Department of Public Health. This is the first instance of a pet cat contracting the new flu virus.
(ABC News Photo Illustration)

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/SwineFluNew...


The 13-year-old cat apparently caught the virus from one of the people living in the house, the group said in a statement. It has recovered and does not appear to have infected anyone or anything else.

Pigs are the original source of the H1N1 virus and it has been found in several herds, as well as in a pet ferret. Ferrets are especially susceptible to human influenza viruses.