Wood County, Ohio – Three more cases of H5N1 bird flu have been confirmed in cats, adding to a continued outbreak affecting dairy cows in the United States. This brings the total number of feline cases in this current outbreak to six.
According to Sonja Olsen, Associate Director of Preparedness and Response at CDC’s Influenza Division, the recent discoveries of three more cats testing positive for avian influenza have raised concerns about the spread of the virus. The affected herds span across 33 farms in eight states, with confirmed cases in cats on various dairy farms, as well as wild bird confirmations on some of the farms.
The new cases were identified in dairy farms in Curry County, New Mexico, and Wood County, Ohio, with two cats affected in the former and one in the latter. An additional three cats had previously succumbed to the virus on dairy farms in Texas. Olsen noted that the cats exhibited symptoms like neurologic issues, rapid deterioration, and ultimately death.
The global spread of the H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b strain, along with its recent transmission to an increasing number of mammals, has sparked worry about the potential development of a variant capable of human-to-human transmission. Up to now, human cases have been limited to individuals who had contact with infected birds or cattle.
In late March, the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the presence of bird flu in unpasteurized milk from ailing cows in Kansas and Texas, marking the first-ever detection in cattle. Since then, there have been 33 reported outbreaks in eight states, with one farm worker in Texas testing positive for the virus.
Moreover, viral fragments of H5N1 were identified in samples of commercial milk, although pasteurization is believed to render the milk safe for consumption. Further testing is underway to confirm these initial findings. Cats have shown vulnerability to this strain of H5N1 bird flu, with documented cases in various parts of the world leading to illness and fatalities among feline populations.
In the United States alone, at least 19 cats have been infected with the H5N1 bird flu, including the six new cases reported recently. Thirteen other cases occurred last year, primarily linked to contact with infected poultry or wild birds. The ongoing outbreak presents challenges for public health officials in containing the spread and protecting both animal and human populations from the potential dangers associated with the virus.