S.Korea reports suspected avian influenza case in cats

A suspected avian influenza case was reported from a cat at an animal shelter in South Korean capital Seoul, authorities said on Saturday.

It will take roughly two or three days to find out if the infection was highly pathogenic, Yonhap news agency reported, citing the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

Earlier this week, two cats at an animal shelter in central Seoul were confirmed to have been infected with a highly pathogenic avian influenza strain, marking the first infections of the virus in mammals in seven years.

There has not been a human avian influenza infection through cats or other mammals.