Credit score: Unsplash/CC0 Public Area
A research printed Thursday by the US Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) suggests that folks can transmit chook flu to their home cats, with deadly penalties.
Two family case research from Michigan in Might 2024 had been printed within the company’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, as fears develop that the virus might mutate and trigger a human pandemic.
Since then, it has additionally emerged that cats might be contaminated by pet meals contaminated with the virus—and it will probably unfold between “big cat” species in shelters.
Each case research concerned pet house owners who labored at or close to dairy cattle farms affected by chook flu, and each resulted in deaths of contaminated felines.
Within the first case, a five-year-old indoor feminine cat quickly developed a lack of urge for food, poor grooming habits, disorientation, lethargy, and neurological deterioration.
Her situation worsened shortly, requiring emergency care on the Michigan State College (MSU) Veterinary Medical Middle.
Regardless of intervention, her signs progressed, and he or she was euthanized inside 4 days. Postmortem testing confirmed she had contracted chook flu.
Two different cats lived in the identical family. One exhibited gentle signs, which the house owners attributed to allergy symptoms, they usually ceased communication with public well being officers.
Among the many family members, the farm employee declined testing, whereas an grownup and two adolescents examined damaging for chook flu.
Unpasteurized milk connection
Days later, a second case involving a six-month-old male Maine Coon was dropped at the college. The cat exhibited signs together with anorexia, lethargy, facial swelling, and restricted motion, and died inside 24 hours.
This cat lived with one other feline that remained unaffected.
The Maine Coon’s proprietor frequently transported unpasteurized milk from numerous Michigan farms, together with these confirmed to have contaminated dairy cattle.
The proprietor reported dealing with uncooked milk with out protecting gear, steadily getting splashed within the face, eyes, and clothes, and failing to alter work garments earlier than getting into the house.
Notably, the sick cat steadily rolled within the proprietor’s contaminated work garments, whereas the unaffected cat didn’t.
The proprietor additionally skilled eye irritation earlier than the cat fell unwell however declined testing for chook flu.
“Farmworkers are encouraged to consider removing clothing and footwear and to rinse off any animal byproduct residue (including milk and feces) before entering households,” the CDC researchers suggested.
For the reason that US outbreak started in 2024, 69 human instances of chook flu have been formally reported within the US, although the true quantity could also be considerably greater because of restricted testing amongst farm employees. One individual has died.
Consultants warn that because the virus continues to flow into broadly amongst mammals and birds, it might finally combine with seasonal influenza, probably mutating right into a pressure able to environment friendly human-to-human transmission.
Newly confirmed US Well being Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has stated he needs the federal government to pivot away from infectious illness analysis and forged doubt on whether or not germs really trigger sickness.
He has additionally for many years questioned using vaccines—seen as key to containing chook flu if it does develop into a pandemic—and has promoted the consumption of uncooked milk, a identified vector for chook flu.
Extra data:
Ramya Naraharisetti et al, Extremely Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Virus An infection of Indoor Home Cats Inside Dairy Trade Employee Households — Michigan, Might 2024, MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (2025). DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7405a2
© 2025 AFP
Quotation:
Individuals can unfold chook flu to their cats, US research suggests (2025, February 21)
retrieved 21 February 2025
from https://medicalxpress.com/information/2025-02-people-bird-flu-cats.html
This doc is topic to copyright. Other than any honest dealing for the aim of personal research or analysis, no
half could also be reproduced with out the written permission. The content material is supplied for data functions solely.
