Feline Herpes Virus Not Contagious to Humans

[claireokc]

Q: Our new cat, Lily, has an upper respiratory infection and goopy eyes. Her veterinarian said these problems are probably caused by a herpes virus that often infects cats. Is this virus contagious to us humans? A: No, herpes viruses are species-specific. That means humans and dogs don’t catch the cat herpes virus, called feline herpesvirus-1 or FHV-1, and cats and dogs don’t get the human herpes viruses. Even people whose immune systems are weakened by cancer chemotherapy, immunosuppressive drugs or the human immunodeficiency virus don’t have to worry about catching other species’ herpes viruses. FHV-1 is one of the most common viral causes of sneezing, nasal discharge and eye disease in cats. The disease it causes is called rhinotracheitis, essentially a cold like the one Lily has, except that many cats also experience lethargy, loss of appetite and fever. ...

Source: https://www.theepochtimes.com/feline-he ... 47820.html