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Testing cats for the avian flu has been ongoing since November and adoptions have been suspended. (File photo)
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - People hoping to adopt a cat from a city shelter for Christmas or Hanukkah were disappointed after a breakout of bird flu sickened 125 shelter felines, and adoptions were suspended while Animal Care Centers of NYC gets a hold on the virus.
As of Dec. 20, there were 91 cats in the Manhattan ACC shelter that tested positive for H7N2, the bird flu, 30 in Brooklyn, and four in Staten Island out of a total 201 cats with test results. Additional test results are pending.
According to the city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, only the cats in NYC animal shelters have tested positive for H7N2. Cats that have been adopted from the ACC have not been tested.
More than 350 people were screened for the virus, with one veterinarian testing positive. Flu symptoms were mild and the person has completely recovered, according to the Health Department.
Testing began mid-November, first with 45 cats in an ACC shelter in Manhattan testing positive for the flu, most experiencing mild illness and expected to recover. One elderly cat had underlying health issues, developed severe pneumonia and was humanely euthanized, the Health Department said.
Signs of the virus include sneezing, coughing, runny nose and runny or red eyes. It can spread if a cat has contact with another infected cat or with objects (such as kitty litter or food bowls) used by sick animals.
There is no influenza vaccine for cats and there are no medicines available to treat the flu in cats. Veterinarians may use other medicines, such as pain relievers, antibiotics or intravenous fluids, to help the cat recover.
Illness is usually mild and most cats recover quickly.
The infected cats have been separated so as not to expose other animals at the shelter.
The Health Department, working with ACC, the ASPCA and New York City Emergency Management, will soon move cats to a new quarantine location, which will allow shelters to resume their normal intake and adoption of cats.
Cats are the only animals that have tested positive for the flu, so all other shelter operations have continued.
Until cats are removed to the new location and the cat facilities are disinfected, New Yorkers should not to drop off cats at any ACC shelter.
The risk of transmission of H7N2 from cats to humans is low.
The symptoms of seasonal flu viruses and H7N2 are similar, and medications that treat seasonal flu also treat H7N2 virus infections, the Health Department said.