Four more cats have died from H5N1 bird flu in the United States.
Two of the pets in South Dakota had no links to livestock dairy products — the first time there have been cases in pets unconnected to outbreaks on farms.
The development could be significant because it suggests the virus is getting closer to humans.
South Dakota State Veterinarian Beth Thompson said there were no livestock on the property where the pets died, but she said it is not yet known how the cats became infected.
Two other cases of avian flu in barn cats on commercial dairy farms, where cows were also infected with H5N1, occurred recently in Michigan: one in Isabella County and another in Ionia County, where two opossums were also infected. Virginia.
It is the first time that cases have been recorded in pets unconnected with cows infected with H5N1
The map above shows states that have reported avian flu infections in dairy herds.
So far, only one person – a Texas farmer – has tested positive for the H5N1 virus in this outbreak, but the CDC fears many more could be infected and not come forward.
It comes as the top FDA official revealed that the agency is preparing for a human bird flu pandemic that could kill one in four of those infected.
The two cats with no connection to poultry or dairy cows are from South Dakota’s Campbell County, which is in the northern part of the state on the border with North Dakota.
The news came from a notification from US government officials to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH).
The update does not mention what symptoms the cats had, but common signs of bird flu in cats include loss of appetite, severe depression, fever, difficulty breathing and jaundice.
Previous reports on H5N1 in cats, both in the United States and abroad, listed respiratory and neurological symptoms in infected animals, which were frequently fatal.
Earlier this month, approximately 70 Americans in Colorado were being monitored for bird flu due to possible exposure.
Until this week, all the cats who died from bird flu lived on farms and likely drank raw milk, which can harbor viruses because it has not been pasteurized, a process in which milk is heated and then quickly cooled to kill microbes.
But the origin of the two domestic cats in South Dakota is unknown, suggesting it could be spreading among them.
“Cats are particularly susceptible to the H5N1 2.3.4.4b virus, and most sick cats have been reported in or near affected poultry facilities or dairies,” said Shilo Weir, spokesperson for the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. . BNO News.
At least 14 cats have died from bird flu since the virus was found in dairy cows in late March, although the true count is believed to be much higher due to limited testing.
The spread of H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b around the world, as well as its spread to a growing number of mammals, has raised anxiety about the possibility of human-to-human transmission from a future variant.
So far, only a few human cases have been found after contact with infected birds or livestock.
People who have close, prolonged contact with infected animals can become infected when the virus enters through the eyes or mouth, or when they inhale droplets through the nose.
As the virus spreads, particularly between two different species, it acquires more mutations that may allow it to infect people more easily.
So far, there have been a total of 51 outbreaks on dairy farms in nine states.