Bird Flu and Our Pets

Are you wondering how easily avian flu could jump from birds to domestic animals?

Paul Hunter, professor of health protection at the University of East Anglia in the UK, points out that like all predators, Cats by nature hunt weaker pray. "Cats tend to go for sick birds, so it is not unexpected if cats catch and kill infected birds,"

The reported death in Germany of a cat who lived in an area where dozens of birds had died from H5N1 does not come as any big surprise to scientists

Should our pets in the UK be vacinated?

Professor Peter Openshaw of Imperial College, London commentated today on the German Cats death. "It also raises the question of whether cats should be vaccinated... Vaccination of animals that bring us into close contact with it seems to be a high priority."

He urges a new focus on vaccines that are broadly protective rather than too specific, to improve chances of general protection.

But he also sadly admitted there is little incentive for pharmaceutical firms because such research had a high risk of failure with of low financial returns!