24 May 2006
New Guidelines, compiled by the Avian Influenza Task Force, have been issued by the newly formed European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases (ABCD). These Guidelines have been collated for veterinary practitioners to help them deal with possible cases of H5N1 in cats.
For veterinary practitioners, the guidelines provide evidence-based information on infection routes and clinical signs of avian influenza infection in cats. They also offer guidance on the diagnosis and management of cats suspected of infection with H5N1 virus and on protective measures that should be taken when infection is suspected.
The H5N1 Avian Influenza Guidelines are a result of the ABCD meeting held in Barcelona in March and will be available on www.abcd-vets.org.
The European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases is composed of seventeen independent veterinary members from ten European countries with an expertise in immunology, vaccinology and/or clinical feline medicine.
The next meeting will be held in Haarlem (NL), on the 8-9th of June where the Board will validate guidelines on Feline Panleukopenia previously discussed in Barcelona and initiate the discussion on guidelines for Feline Herpes Virus infection.
Download pdf file - 225 Ko
(ENDS)
Notes to editors:
ABCD is an independent Board created to compile guidelines for the prevention and management of major feline infectious disease in Europe. Animal health care company Merial helped set up and financially supports the ABCD.
- Biographies of ABCD members available
- Interviews available upon request
- Information on vaccination status in each European country available upon request
- Please review www.abcd-vets.org
Avian flu task force
The background information and practical guidelines were compiled by Etienne Thiry (Liege/B), with the assistance of Diane Addie (Glasgow/UK), Herman Egberink (Utrecht/NL), Katrin Hartmann (Munich/D), Hans Lutz (Zurich/CH) and Hervé Poulet (Lyon/F), members of the ABCD task force on avian influenza.
For further information please contact Karin de Lange.