The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has issued a warning about chook flu, brought on by the virus H5N1, that’s killing home cats. On Dec. 20, the company reported that 5, indoor-only cats died after consuming raw milk that was part of a recall. The company can also be investigating a separate case, additionally in LA County, regarding a cat that has “examined presumptive constructive for H5 chook flu after consuming two completely different manufacturers of uncooked pet meals composed of uncooked poultry and uncooked beef.”
“The danger of H5 chook flu stays low in Los Angeles County, however these confirmed circumstances of the virus in pet cats are a reminder that consuming uncooked dairy and meat merchandise can result in extreme sickness in cats,” stated Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health in a press release. “To keep away from the unfold of illness, together with H5 chook flu, we strongly encourage residents and their pets to keep away from uncooked dairy and undercooked meat merchandise, restrict contact with sick or lifeless animals, report sick or lifeless birds and hold pets or poultry away from wild animals and birds.”
According to the Los Angeles Times, the cats’ signs appeared between 8 to 12 days after consuming the uncooked milk. They had indicators of liver harm and yellowing of the eyes and gums.
This isn’t the primary time cats have been vulnerable to demise after being contaminated with chook flu. Last 12 months, over half of a cluster of cats that sporadically died in Poland have been contaminated with the H5N1 chook flu. Experts previously told Salon in June that when cats die from chook flu, it may be grisly. They experience fever, lack of urge for food and extreme respiratory and neurological signs which are disagreeable and painful.
The information in regards to the cats in Los Angeles comes as the bird flu situation continues to escalate, with extra human circumstances being reported along with animals. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there have been 65 confirmed human circumstances of chook flu through the 2024 outbreak. Los Angeles County additionally confirmed this week the primary human case of chook flu, an grownup public well being officers say who was exposed to infected livestock. Meanwhile, the primary human case of chook flu was also reported in Iowa. And final week, the primary extreme case of chook flu was reported in Louisiana. While there isn’t any proof that virus is spreading from human to human — a key issue of one other pandemic like COVID-19 — with every an infection, together with these in domesticated animals, brings us nearer to such an consequence.
The chook flu disaster started a number of years in the past however ramped up final April when dairy cows turned contaminated. Since final spring, public well being officers have publicly criticized the Biden administration for not correctly dealing with and monitoring the state of affairs, however as Salon recently reported, they don’t have religion that the state of affairs will enhance beneath a Trump administration.
