Lab confirms bird flu virus in dead cat

Germany has its first known case of bird flu in a cat. Tests conducted by the federal institute for animal health have confirmed that a cat that was found dead on the northern island of Rügen had the H5N1 strain of the virus. That's the strain that can be fatal for humans. This is not the first time a cat has been infected with bird flu. A number of infections have been reported in Asian countries. Klaus Stöhr of the World Health Programme in Geneva says this latest case in Germany is no reason for panic. More than 100 cases of the virus in wild birds have been confirmed since the disease first surfaced in Germany earlier this month. The majority of them have been found on Rügen.

Deutsche Welle 02/2006