USDA Adds An Additional 3 Domestic Cats To HPAI Detections in Mammals List (n= 33)

 

#18,177

While we've seen sporadic reports of H5N1 in American cats previously (see here & here) - and in other countries (see Poland, South Korea, and France) - since the spillover of HPAI into cattle, reports have suddenly accelerated. 

Six weeks ago the USDA began adding domestic cats to their mammals with H5N1 list, and today that number has increased to 33 (see list below).  The latest 3 additions are two cats from Minnesota, and a belated report (collected last April) from Michigan.    

Mammals - including domestic cats - often die in remote and difficult to access places where their carcasses are quickly scavenged by other animals. Meaning that many may go discovered or tested. 

Despite the fact that H5N1 has been detected in wild birds across all 50 states, only 30 states have reported finding the virus in mammalian wildlife. It is probably fair to assume that some states are looking harder than others, but there may be other factors as well (climate, terrain, population densities etc.)

Their long history of increased susceptibility to avian flu infection is why the CDC features cats on their H5N1 transmission graphics (see below).

Although dogs are susceptible to H5N1 (see EID Journal: Antibodies to Influenza A(H5N1) Virus in Hunting Dogs Retrieving Wild Fowl, Washington, USA ), they tend to have milder (often asymptomatic) infections.

While the CDC considers the  risks to humans from H5N1 to be low, they offer a web page with extensive advice for pet owners.