Household Pets Birds, Cats, Dogs, and other pets

This page is intended to provide information for pet owners. Pets for purposes of this discussion are considered domestic animals living at least part of the time in a home or animals living outdoors at a residence and not considered poultry or livestock. Information for poultry and livestock owners can be found at the "Biosecurity" link at left.

• Best Practices for Pets (pdf file) Pet Health Council, United Kingdom.
  
  
  

Pet Birds

Pet birds are at risk of contracting Avian Influenza from wild birds, other infected pet birds, and contaminated bird related equipment. It is recommended that pet birds be purchased from reputable sources with documentation of the birds origin. The USDA requires a 30-day quarantine of imported birds from outside the US and has placed an import ban on birds and bird products from infected areas.

Pet Cats and Dogs.

Cats in Europe and Asian have contracted Avian Influenza by direct contact with infected birds. Dogs are believed to be at risk to contract Avian Influenza in the same way cats do, however at this time no instances have been reported.

• European Center for Disease Control Recommendations for Cats.
  
  
• UN FAO News Release on Cats and Avian Influenza.
  
  
  

Other Pets.

A variety of pets have contracted or are at risk to contract Avian Influenza. The CDC reports "that pigs, tigers, leopards, ferrets, and domestic cats can be infected with avian influenza A (H5N1) viruses. In addition, in early March 2006, Germany reported H5N1 infection in a stone marten (a weasel-like mammal). The avian influenza A (H5N1) virus that emerged in Asia in 2003 is evolving and it’s possible that other mammals may be susceptible to infection as well." The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports "Reports show infection in tigers, leopards and civets. Also dogs and pigs may become infected with the virus. Given the broad host spectrum of the H5N1virus, the possibility that also other wild or domesticated mammals including seals, mustelidae or furbearing animals, become infected by contacting infected animals is present. All carnivores could become infected through eating infected poultry or infected wild birds."