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When Avian Influenza H7N2 infected cats in a New York City animal shelter in late 2016 it was the first outbreak of its kind and the first documented case of cat-to-cat transmission, all in the most populous city in the United States

Thanks to a historic collaborative outbreak response by organizations and agencies including Maddie's Fund®, the ASPCA, the University of Wisconsin Shelter Medicine Program, New York City Animal Care and Control, the New York City Department of Health, US and NY Departments of Agriculture, the Centers for Disease Control and the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, hundreds of cats' lives were saved. The outbreak also taught health professionals and researchers more about the virus. Click here to read more about the historic outbreak and response, most significantly how this allowed the shelter to refocus on establishing their capacity for care in order to reduce all infectious disease and increase their life saving abilities.

We have recently assisted with cases of influenza A in cats in a shelter in New York City. Here are some answers to some frequently asked questions.

MADISON - Thirteen cats in a New York City shelter have tested positive for influenza A. One of them has died. The Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) and the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (WVDL) are working closely with the shelter to test and manage the cases.

We have recently reported a small number of infections with canine influenza H3N2 in cats in an Indiana shelter. Here are some answers to some frequently asked questions.

It may be called canine influenza, but Dr. Sandra Newbury, director of the Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine has confirmed that the virus that sickened a large number of dogs in the Midwest throughout last year has now infected a group of cats in the region.

Newbury, in collaboration with Virology Section Head at the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Kathy Toohey-Kurth, recently tested multiple cats at an animal shelter in Northwest Indiana and found them positive for the H3N2 canine influenza virus.

In March and April of 2015 a novel strain of canine influenza, H3N2, was identified during an outbreak of canine respiratory disease in Chicago, IL. Our University of Wisconsin Shelter Medicine Program has partnered with many other agencies to uncover valuable information about managing and limiting the impact of this new virus.

The Shelter Medicine Intensive was created as a pilot by Dr. Sandra Newbury to provide additional hands-on training in shelter medicine to veterinary students and interns, residents