‘A drastic uptick’: Bird flu is infecting domestic cats in multiple states

(Gray News) - A bird flu outbreak has been affecting American farms for the past few years and it’s now reportedly spreading to domestic pets around the country.

Since the start of the bird flu outbreak, H5N1 bird flu has taken out more than 100 million birds and nearly 200 dairy farm herds, The Associated Press reported in June.

But recent reports say the influenza strain seen in dairy cows has now spread to some indoor pet cats.

According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, six feline cases of H5N1 have been diagnosed in domestic cats in the state so far this year.

Officials in Colorado say there has been an abundance of the virus in the state, including the largest outbreak of human bird flu infections in U.S. history at an area poultry farm.

The New York Times reports that since the dairy outbreak was first detected in late March, at least 21 cats have caught the virus in nine states as the United States Department of Agriculture just recently begun to track feline cases.

“Domestic cats are actually highly susceptible to avian influenza, and especially H5N1,” Kristen Coleman, an infectious disease researcher at the University of Maryland, told the NY Times. “There has been a recent uptick in domestic cat infections, a drastic uptick.”

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, cats can show a range of clinical signs including loss of appetite, low energy, swelling of various body parts and lack of coordination.

Pet owners who think their feline may have been infected are urged to contact their veterinarian.

Experts say there has been a handful of H5N1 cases in domestic dogs but overall, they are less susceptible to the virus.

Pets that remain indoors should be at low risk of catching the virus. Veterinarians said owners should avoid feeding their pets raw milk or raw meat, which both could potentially transmit the virus.

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