Belgian authorities final week reported the nation’s first H5 avian flu detections in home cats, which lived on a poultry farm, and in the USA, extra detections had been confirmed in poultry and dairy cattle over the previous few days.
First detection in Belgian cats; extra in New Jersey
Belgium’s Federal Company for the Security of the Meals Chain on March 4 introduced the detection of H5 avian flu in two outside cats owned by a poultry farmer in East Flanders. The farm had skilled an avian flu outbreak in poultry in the midst of February.
The 2 cats had been euthanized after experiencing extreme signs. Different cats on the farm stay wholesome and present no signs.
Officers stated the sick cats in all probability contracted the virus by consuming contaminated eggs or ingesting contaminated water.
The infections in cats are Belgium’s first, although the nation has reported avian flu in different mammal species earlier than, together with foxes, polecats, and home ferrets, which officers stated had been doubtless uncovered by way of consuming hen carcasses or contaminated eggs.
In the USA, well being officers in New Jersey have reported 4 extra H5 avian flu detections in home cats, all from the identical family as two latest detections. The sooner detections concerned a feral cat and an indoor-outdoor cat, with outcomes pending for others on the identical property that had been sick.
In an announcement, Karen DeMarco, MPH, well being officer for Hunterdon County, stated the H5 threat to the overall inhabitants stays low, however officers will proceed to take proactive steps to teach those that are at elevated threat corresponding to farm staff.
“Well being division employees are conducting every day symptom monitoring with all people who had shut contact with the affected animals, and all are asymptomatic at the moment,” she stated.
Extra confirmations in US poultry and dairy cattle
Over the previous week, the US Division of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Well being Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed extra H5N1 detections in poultry throughout six states.
The virus struck extra business farms, together with a duck and layer amenities in Indiana and turkey amenities in Ohio. In New York, birds at 4 stay markets examined constructive, together with these in Queens, Bronx, and Richmond counties.
Extra detections in yard poultry flocks had been reported from Oregon, Illinois, and Michigan.
Since outbreaks in US poultry started early 2022, the virus has led to the lack of greater than 166 million birds throughout all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
Additionally at present, APHIS confirmed 5 extra H5N1 detections in US dairy cattle, all from California, elevating the nationwide whole to 983 and California’s whole to 754.
