澳大利亚兽医专家警告，H5禽流感对宠物构成风险，尤其是猫科动物容易感染并可能迅速恶化1。虽然澳大利亚目前尚未记录宠物感染病例，但海外疫情提示了这一威胁的现实性——波兰、韩国和比利时的感染病例显示，受感染的猫可能在接触病原体后数天内死亡1。相比之下，犬类感染后症状较轻或无症状1。
宠物感染禽流感主要通过四种途径传播：直接接触感染的野生动物、接触受污染的环境、食用或饮用受感染的动物产品，以及在家中接触感染源1。猫的症状可能快速进展至神经症状，包括肌肉震颤、癫痫或突然失明1。目前宠物无可用疫苗，现有流感抗病毒药对猫狗的安全性和有效性数据有限1，无家庭快速检测方法可用，样本需送政府专门实验室分析1。
专家建议宠物主人采取四项预防措施：避免宠物接触野生动物、远离可能被污染的环境、避免喂食生肉制品，以及做好个人卫生以防止将病原体带回家中1。澳大利亚7.7百万个家庭饲养宠物1，宠物主人若对宠物感染禽流感有疑虑，可拨打紧急动物疾病热线1800 675 8881。
Australian veterinary experts warn that H5 avian influenza poses a genuine risk to pets, with felines being particularly vulnerable to infection and potentially experiencing rapid disease progression 1. While no cases of pet infection have been documented in Australia to date, overseas outbreaks in Poland, South Korea, and Belgium have demonstrated that infected cats can die within days of exposure 1. Dogs, by contrast, tend to show milder symptoms or remain asymptomatic when infected 1.
Pets can contract the virus through four main pathways: direct contact with infected wildlife, exposure to contaminated environments, consumption of infected animal products, and contact with other infected animals within the household 1. Cat owners should be particularly alert to symptoms that can escalate rapidly, including tremors, seizures, or sudden blindness as the disease progresses to neurological complications 1. Currently, no vaccines are available for pets, and existing antiviral medications have limited safety and efficacy data for cats and dogs 1.
Prevention remains the most effective protective strategy 1. Pet owners are advised to prevent their animals from contact with wild birds and animals, avoid contaminated areas, refrain from feeding raw meat products, and maintain strict personal hygiene practices 1. There is no home rapid testing available; suspected cases require samples to be submitted to government laboratories for analysis 1. Pet owners concerned about potential infection can contact the emergency animal disease hotline at 1800 675 888 1.
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