Pet care: Here's the situation with bird flu and cats
Feb. 16—Egg shortages, bird flu, cat flu, sick people — OMG! We have a serious problem with no end in sight. Here's an update.
Just 12 cats in the U.S. tested positive for avian influenza (H5N1) in 2023. There were 49 last year and 13 already last month. Some of these were barn cats, many more lived in cities and suburbs; a few had never been outside. Bird flu strikes cats fast with lethargy, poor appetite, coughing, sneezing, eye and nose discharges and, in the worst cases, loss of balance, walking in circles and even seizures. It's been fatal in 71% of documented feline cases.
Avian influenza started in birds and spreads widely among them. Cats catch it by direct contact with birds, including those they kill, infected cattle and exposure to nasal fluids. The virus has also been found in some raw diets; Northwest Naturals and Monarch Raw Pet Food have been implicated. Gaston, aka "Kitten Kaboodle," is the Nichol family cat. He doesn't live in a dairy barn, doesn't consort with birds, and only eats Science Diet. Gaston sleeps well at night.
Avian influenza originated in wild birds outside our borders, very likely in Western Europe. It arrived in our country three years ago this month. Since then, we've had 153 million confirmed cases in commercial and backyard poultry. It's been difficult for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to get its arms around this pandemic. Infected flocks are destroyed. That means fewer hens, fewer omelets and high egg prices. We can't blame politicians. None I have known are feathered, although some of them should be.
There is no cause for panic, but people are also susceptible. Within our shores, 67 human cases have been diagnosed. One of these folks died. Viral spread from one person to another has not occurred. "This is still a significant public health disease," said Dr. Ryan Scholz, Oregon's state veterinarian. "Allowing this disease to circulate allows it more opportunity to mutate, allows it more opportunity to affect more animals, and more opportunity to potentially affect people." Stay informed.
For help with behavior problems, you can sign up for a Zoom group conference at drjeffnichol.com
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