Domestic cats in Colorado are dying of bird flu. Is your cat at risk?

USA TODAY

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2024/08/17/indoor-domestic-cats-colorado-bird-flu/74797557007/

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A handful of house cats in Colorado died this year from bird flu and some had no direct exposure to outbreaks on dairy farms.

State public health officials haven’t determined how Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 circulating in infected herds sickened six domestic cats, including two indoor cats, raising questions for some about how the virus spreads and infects different animals.

State officials “suspect it is directly related to dairy farm exposures,” Kristin Richmann, a spokesperson for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, said in an email.

“Through genetic testing of the virus, the infections in several of these cats have been linked to the avian flu outbreak in dairy cattle, but we did not document direct exposure to dairy cattle in all cases,” she said. As for the two indoor cats, she added, it’s possible “tracking of virus from the environment into the home” caused infections in the pets.

Experts said the deaths could be linked to mice in and around homes that carried bird flu. Cats could have preyed on these rodents and owners may not be aware it happened, said Dr. Jane Sykes, a professor of small animal internal medicine at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine. Another source of infection could be raw food that people feed their pets.

Cats living on farms with infected livestock died of bird flu during recent outbreaks this year. However, it’s unclear how house cats with no exposure to sick animals on farms got the virus.

“Honestly, when you see just this small number of animals that are reported, it’s often the tip of the iceberg,” Sykes told USA TODAY. “There are often lots of cases that don’t get recognized.”

A handful of domestic cats in Colorado have died from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza amid 2024 outbreaks of the virus.

Bird flu in cats, humans

The risk of bird flu to the public is low, state and federal officials say. It’s also unlikely that sick pets would transmit the virus to humans. There has been no transmission of the virus between people during this outbreak.

Last week, the Colorado State Veterinarian’s Office announced that six domestic cats had been diagnosed with H5N1.

One case was directly associated with a commercial dairy facility where cows were infected. Two others were indoor cats, and the remaining three cats had spent time outside hunting mice or small birds, according to the announcement posted by the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association.

Five of the six cases had similar symptoms. Pet owners reported initial complaints that their cats were lethargic and not eating. Some later became severely ill with respiratory symptoms, and most developed neurologic issues. Several were tested for rabies, which has similar symptoms, but were negative. All the cats died. All tested positive for bird flu.

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The virus detected in nearby dairy herds spilled over to mammals and wild birds on and near these premises, the state veterinarian said. The specific strain of H5N1 has been spreading to species that hadn’t previously been considered reservoirs for the virus.

Citing U.S Department of Agriculture data, Colorado Public Radio linked five of the six cats to northern Colorado, where outbreaks among livestock have occurred.

The USDA said via mail that its National Veterinary Services Laboratory has confirmed 36 domestic cats with bird flu. In many cases, they had the same strain found in dairy cattle.

Across the U.S. this year, 13 people have been infected with bird flu, including 10 in Colorado. All were poultry or dairy workers. No person has become ill from an infected cat, said Richmann, from the state public health department. Officials have monitored people exposed to the sick cats for 10 days after their last exposure, she said.

Cats are typically “dead-end hosts,” meaning they don’t tend to transmit bird flu to other animals once infected, according to Sykes, from UC Davis. Death rates from bird flu have been high among cats: about two-thirds of cats died once they were infected, according to one study.

There have been instances of cats spreading disease. In 2016, a cat infected a person with a different type of avian influenza at a New York City animal shelter. Thailand and Germany experienced prior outbreaks of bird flu in cats.

Jennifer Martin, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Colorado School of Public Health, said it’s important to understand the genetic sequence of H5N1 in cats to determine whether the virus is mutating, or just finding hosts in which it’s already adapted to survive.

“That’s going to be really helpful in putting together a puzzle that seems to be expanding,” Martin said. “But is it an expansion that’s caused by a change in the virus or is it a natural expansion?” She said once that question is answered, “we can rely on best practices to address it.”

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What can I do to protect my cat?

How much the bird flu has spread beyond infected farms remains unclear. In the meantime, the public should rely on established methods to protect people and their pets from getting sick, Martin said. These steps are as simple as washing hands after handling food or litter boxes. Pet owners should also avoid serving their pets raw milk or meat. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people and pets avoid contact with wild birds.

Pet owners should watch for signs of illness in their cats and should contact a veterinarian if respiratory and neurological symptoms develop. The Colorado Veterinarian’s Office said bird flu infection should still be considered in cats even if symptoms and risk factors aren’t all present.

People get sick when they inhale the virus or get it in their mouth, eyes or nose. In humans, symptoms have included eye redness and flu-like respiratory issues.

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