The media is once again saying that domestic cats are being infected by the bird flu. This could end up being an avenue for the H5N1 virus that’s circulating in dairy cattle to make its way to more human beings.
Cats living on farms with infected livestock died of bird flu during recent outbreaks this year. However, it’s unclear how house cats with no exposure to sick animals on farms got the virus. The “experts” claim that the deaths of these cats could be linked to mice in and around homes that carried bird flu and possibly transmitted it.
“Honestly, when you see just this small number of animals that are reported, it’s often the tip of the iceberg,” Dr. Jane Sykes, a professor of small animal internal medicine at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine told USA Today. “There are often lots of cases that don’t get recognized.”
The rulers say that the risk to the public is “low,” and they’ve been saying that since they started the fear-mongering campaign. So far, this virus has not been transmitted between humans. However, last week, the Colorado State Veterinarian’s Office announced that six domestic cats had been diagnosed with H5N1.
Five of the six cases had similar symptoms. Pet owners reported initial complaints that their cats were lethargic and not eating. Some later became severely ill with respiratory symptoms, and most developed neurologic issues. Several were tested for rabies, which has similar symptoms, but were negative. All the cats died. All tested positive for bird flu.
The virus detected in nearby dairy herds spilled over to mammals and wild birds on and near these premises, the state veterinarian said. The specific strain of H5N1 has been spreading to species that hadn’t previously been considered reservoirs for the virus. –USA Today
Colorado Public Radio, while citing data provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, linked five of the six cats to northern Colorado, where outbreaks among livestock have occurred. The USDA said via mail that its National Veterinary Services Laboratory has confirmed 36 domestic cats with bird flu. In many cases, they had the same strain found in dairy cattle.
U.S. Enters Mass Testing Phase For Bird Flu In Dairy Cattle
USA Today further reported that there have been instances of cats spreading disease. In 2016, a cat infected a person with a different type of avian influenza at a New York City animal shelter. Thailand and Germany experienced prior outbreaks of bird flu in cats.
