What species of animals are affected by Avian Influenza?
AI viruses can infect a wide variety of birds including chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, guinea fowl, quail, pheasants and ostriches. Many species of wild birds, particularly waterfowl and seabirds, are also susceptible, but may not show clinical signs of the disease. Avian influenza viruses usually only infect birds but pigs, tigers, leopards and domestic cats have also been infected with H5N1. So far, all cases of H5N1 infection in people have been associated with close contact with infected birds in relatively underdeveloped countries (such as the handling of live infected birds). Similarly, H5N1 infections in other mammals have also involved close contact with infected birds. The World Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has published a comprehensive report about avian influenza in cats (and other animals) following the recent detection of the H5N1 virus in a German cat.
