Premium
Concurrent 2009 Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) Virus Infection in Ferrets and in a Community in Pennsylvania
Author(s) -
Campagnolo E. R.,
Moll M. E.,
Tuhacek K.,
Simeone A. J.,
Miller W. S.,
Waller K. O.,
Simwale O.,
Rankin J. T.,
Ostroff S. M.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
zoonoses and public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.87
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1863-2378
pISSN - 1863-1959
DOI - 10.1111/j.1863-2378.2012.01503.x
Subject(s) - pandemic , outbreak , veterinary medicine , medicine , influenza a virus , cluster (spacecraft) , public health , virology , virus , influenza a virus subtype h5n1 , human mortality from h5n1 , covid-19 , environmental health , infectious disease (medical specialty) , pathology , disease , computer science , programming language
Summary We report a fall 2010 cluster of pandemic influenza A/H1N1 (pH1N1) infections in pet ferrets in Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. The ferrets were associated with one pet shop. The influenza cluster occurred during a period when the existing human surveillance systems had identified little to no pH1N1 in humans in the Lehigh Valley, and there were no routine influenza surveillance systems for exotic pets. The index case was a 2.5‐month‐old neutered male ferret that was presented to a veterinary clinic with severe influenza‐like illness (ILI). In response to laboratory notification of a positive influenza test result, and upon request from the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PADOH), the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) conducted an investigation to identify other ill ferrets and to identify the source and extent of infection. PDA notified the PADOH of the pH1N1 infection in the ferrets, leading to enhanced human surveillance and the detection of pH1N1 human infections in the surrounding community. Five additional ferrets with ILI linked to the pet shop were identified. This simultaneous outbreak of ferret and human pH1N1 demonstrates the important link between animal health and public health and highlights the potential use of veterinary clinics for sentinel surveillance of diseases shared between animals and humans.