Yes. Two other avian strains have caused illness in humans, but the outbreaks were not as severe as those caused by the H5N1 strain The H9N2 strain, which is not highly pathogenic in birds, caused mild cases of illness in two children in Hong Kong in 1999 and in one child in mid-December 2003, also in Hong Kong.

All of the cases of bird flu infection in domestic cats reported to date have been associated with outbreaks among domestic poultry or wild birds and are thought to have occurred by the cat eating raw infected birds.

In addition to humans and birds, we know that pigs, a tiger, 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.

There is no evidence to date that cats can spread H5N1 to humans. No cases of avian influenza in humans have been linked to exposure to sick cats, and no outbreaks among populations of cats have been reported. All of the influenza A (H5N1) infections in cats reported to date appear to have been associated with outbreaks in domestic or wild birds and acquired through ingestion of raw infected meat.

Avian influenza (bird flu) viruses do not usually infect humans, but a number of confirmed cases of human infection with bird flu viruses have occurred since 1997, usually in persons who had close contact with infected poultry. One bird flu virus strain known as avian influenza A (H5N1) has been of particular concern in recent years. The World Health Organization (WHO) maintains situation updates and cumulative reports of human cases of avian influenza A (H5N1).

the present time, the risk of becoming infected with H5N1 virus from bird feeders is low. Generally, perching birds (Passeriformes) are the predominate type of birds at feeders. While there are documented cases of H5N1 causing death in some Passeriformes (e.g., house sparrow, Eurasian tree-sparrow, house finch), most of the wild birds that are traditionally associated with avian influenza viruses are waterfowl and shore birds.

There is not enough information available about avian influenza A (H5N1) infection in dogs to know how infection would occur. Affected domestic cats in Europe appear to have become infected by feeding upon raw infected poultry or wild birds. If dogs are susceptible to avian influenza A (H5N1), infection may be by the same route.

Influenza A (H5N1) virus – also called “H5N1 virus” – is an influenza A virus subtype that occurs mainly in birds. It was first isolated from birds (terns) in South Africa in 1961. Like all bird flu viruses, H5N1 virus circulates among birds worldwide, is very contagious among birds, and can be deadly.

Most cases of H5N1 avian influenza infection in humans have resulted from direct or close contact with infected poultry (e.g., domesticated chicken, ducks, and turkeys) or surfaces possibly contaminated from feces of infected birds. For a pandemic of influenza to occur, avian influenza must mutate/change to be able to be passed easily from person to person.

During the avian influenza A (H5N1) outbreak that occurred from 2003 to 2004 in Asia, there were only several unofficial reports of fatal infections in domestic cats. Studies carried out in the Netherlands and published in 2004 showed that housecats could be infected with avian influenza A (H5N1) and could spread the virus to other housecats.

Although it is possible for people to become infected with avian influenza, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that the virus does not spread easily from animals to humans. There have been confirmed cases of human infection in Asia, but those occurred in association with virus outbreaks in poultry, usually among people who live and work in close quarters with the animals.

Like cats, dogs are not usually susceptible to avian influenza (AI) viruses; however, an unpublished study carried out in 2005 by the National Institute of Animal Health in Bangkok indicated that dogs could be infected with the virus. No clinical disease was detected in association with that infection. This limited information is insufficient to determine how susceptible dogs are to the virus.

Bird flu viruses do not usually infect humans, but several cases of human infection with bird flu viruses have occurred since 1997.

While currently there are unconfirmed reports of people being infected with H5N1 from dead wild birds, exposure to domestic and wild birds potentially infected with H5N1 should be avoided. The only documented cases of transmission to humans are from poultry; these cases include both highly pathogenic and low pathogenic strains of avian influenza. the present time, close contact with infected domestic poultry has been the primary way that people have become infected with the HPAI H5N1 virus.

Human influenza and avian influenza are both caused by influenza viruses. In Hong Kong, human influenza is commonly caused by influenza A (H3N2), influenza A (H1N1) and influenza B viruses, while avian influenza is commonly caused by influenza A (H5N1) and influenza A (H9N2) viruses.

To date, the high pathogenic H5N1 strain of the avian flu virus has resulted in the deaths of millions of domestic birds. Despite the millions of people who have had close contact with domestic fowl during the past 10 years in Asia, just over 325 people have been infected worldwide. This is an extremely low rate of infection. However, human health officials are concerned with the greater than 50 percent mortality rate of people that have been infected.

Although it is unpredictable when the next pandemic will occur and what strain may cause it, the continued and expanded spread of a highly pathogenic—and now endemic—avian H5N1 virus across eastern Asia and other countries represents a significant threat. Avian H5N1 influenza infection in humans was first recognized in 1997 when this virus infected 18 people in Hong Kong, causing 6 deaths.

No. The canine influenza virus is a type A influenza virus of subtype H3N8 and is more closely related to the equine influenza virus. View more information about canine influenza on the AVMA Web site.

Based on the very limited information available and extrapolating from other species, it is possible that H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza in dogs could appear as respiratory, intestinal, reproductive, or neurologic disease.

Transmission of influenza viruses depends on exposure to the virus and adaptation by the virus to the new host. Transmission of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus from humans to animals (including cats, dogs, and birds) has not been documented, but may be theoretically possible under certain circumstances.