Brother: A death from rabbit flu

Farmer John Freeman, 29, living in Aspall near Stowmarket, Suffolk, England, died of a swine flu infection, a type of bacteria commonly found in dogs and cats.

John Freeman was infected with Pasteurella Multocida after picking up a rabbit he had just shot in his farm. His mother, Joan said, was ill the next day and died four days later, on August 5.

Post mortem examination showed that Freeman died of a blood infection that specifically infected the bacterium that causes Pasteurellosis, also known as rabbit flu or nasal congestion.

A spokesman for the Health Protection Agency (HPA) said the bacteria often appear in domestic pets like dogs and cats. But human-to-rabbit transmission and death are rare. In 2001 there was also a fatal case.

Symptoms of animals infected with this bacteria are runny nose, sneezing, conjunctivitis, blocked tear glands, and abscess.

Symptoms of this person are fever, rash, and other flu symptoms such as headache, cold, lymph nodes.

Every year, tens of thousands of people are infected with pasteurella multocida around the world, usually from dogs and cats.

Professor Sheila Crispin, Principal of the Royal College of Veterinary Medicine, UK, said that rabbits can kill rabbits very quickly but not very dangerous for other animals.

Especially for people, ' in the literature on animals, there has been no warning about the risk of infection from rabbits to humans, ' - Professor Sheila Crispin said.

However, an HPA spokesman said: Infection by Pasteurella Multocida (named after Louis Pasteur scientist) can be cured, if detected early, by antibiotics and washed away from the infection.

It is believed that Pasteurella Multocida is present on at least 75% of cats, 50% of dogs, and 10% of rabbits. They are the most abundant in drool, and animal manure.

QD