Los Angeles health officials are investigating three domestic cats thought to have avian flu, and officials confirmed that two other cats that drank recalled raw milk and died also had the disease.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed two deaths in cats infected with H5 avian influenza on Wednesday. The two cats consumed raw milk linked to Raw Farm, a Fresno, Calif., dairy that recalled raw milk and cream products last month.
Two cats initially presented with loss of appetite, fever, and neurological symptoms. As symptoms worsened, they tested positive for influenza A, a rare result in cats, which was later confirmed to be H5 avian influenza.
The three cats, who all lived in the same home, may also now be infected with bird flu, according to authorities. Humans who have been in contact with these animals are currently being monitored for symptoms. Cats are considered highly susceptible to avian influenza.
Earlier this year, 12 barn cats died at a Texas dairy farm after drinking infected raw milk.
But it is unclear whether the three sick cats in Los Angeles consumed raw milk, and other sources of infection, including raw meat, are under investigation. The alert notes that cats are known to have transmitted another influenza strain to humans, but to date there have been no known cases of H5 avian influenza transmitted from cats to humans.
“The risk of contracting H5 avian influenza remains low in Los Angeles County, but these confirmed cases of the virus in pet cats are a reminder that consuming raw dairy and meat products can cause cats to become severely ill,” said agency director Dr. Barbara Ferrer. .
“To avoid the spread of disease, including H5 avian influenza, we strongly encourage residents and their pets to avoid raw dairy and undercooked meat products, limit contact with sick or dead animals, and report sick or dead birds , and keep pets or poultry away from wild animals.
Reports of cats infected with bird flu come as California Governor Gavin Newsom declares a state of emergency as the virus moves from the Central Valley to Southern California dairy farms.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed Louisiana’s first case of severe avian influenza in a 65-year-old patient with underlying conditions.
The patient developed severe respiratory illness due to avian influenza infection and is currently in critical condition in the hospital. The patient, the first human case of avian influenza in the United States, was linked to exposure to backyard chickens that may have been infected by migratory birds.
Genomic data show the Louisiana patient was infected with a virus that has recently been found circulating in wild birds and poultry in the United States and has also been found in some human cases in Canada and Washington state, the CDC said. Virus.
This version of the H5N1 virus is different from the virus circulating in U.S. dairy cows and some poultry populations. To date, more than 846 cattle herds in 16 US states have been affected, disrupting milk supplies.
But H5N1 infections in cats have alarmed virus experts; a new study finds that cat cells allow viruses to mix and mutate, potentially providing a bridge for H5N1 bird flu to mutate and jump to humans.
A study published in the academic journal Emerging Microbes and Infections found that cats, like pigs, have cellular receptors that allow them to act as “mixing vessels for recombination of avian and mammalian influenza viruses.”
Additionally, cats that recently died from H5N1 avian influenza were found to have “unique mutations” indicating “potential viral adaptation.”
“Continued exposure, viral transmission, and adaptation to H5N1 viruses in cats raise serious transmission and public health concerns,” said the authors of the University of Pittsburgh report.
Newsletter Promotion Post
They added that cats frequently interact with humans and other species and therefore could “act as a bridge for cross-species transmission of H5N1 viruses.”
In April, the Maryland School of Public Health warned that a review of scientific literature showed domestic cats could be infected with avian influenza and transmit it to humans and should be monitored.
“As companion animals, domestic cats provide a potential pathway for avian influenza viruses to spread to humans,” said Christine Coleman, an assistant professor at the school.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been 61 human cases of avian influenza in the United States since April. Most of these patients had contact with infected cattle or infected livestock.
Previous cases in Louisiana had been mild and the patients had recovered after being treated with antiviral drugs, according to the CDC and state health officials. A previous case in Missouri ended up in the hospital.
In addition to the cases in Louisiana, Delaware recently reported a suspected case of H5N1 detected through routine state influenza surveillance.
It is understood that the infected person had no contact with sick animals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was unable to confirm the type of influenza A virus after multiple tests and classified it as a “possible case.”
In Los Angeles, public health officials “strongly encourage residents to avoid consuming raw milk and not feeding it to pets.”
They also recommend that people limit unprotected contact with sick or dead animals or birds or any material contaminated with guano, keep pets or poultry away from wild animals and birds, and remove bird feeders and bathtubs , “to reduce the risk of virus transmission “bird-to-bird”.