Licenses already granted to quarantine establishments for importation of cats from Australia were revoked. Similar measures were adopted by other countries of the European Union.
Additional bans exist on dogs and cats imported from Malaysia.
It is likely that there could be further revision of these requirements. Cat owners should not be alarmed by these developments. Australian authorities are quick to point out that absolutely no evidence of naturally occurring infection has ever been found in cats, even those closely associated with infected horses. The apparent basis for the 'European alarm' is the fact that cats experimentally infected by the virus do develop a fatal disease.