(Bloomberg) — Two home cats died after contracting chicken flu within the houses of dairy employees, a troubling signal that the virus could also be shifting between species and turning into extra widespread.
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The cats’ house owners lived in separate households in Michigan and developed signs of H5N1 final Might, based on a report launched Thursday by the US Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention. Each labored on farms that had instances of chicken flu and displayed signs earlier than the cats fell in poor health, however declined testing.
Whereas human infections have been uncommon throughout the present outbreak of H5N1 chicken flu, with a single loss of life, greater than a dozen US states have reported contaminated cattle. The virus has induced lots of of deaths in many years previous, and the suggestion that it has jumped from cows to individuals to cats signifies that it could have taken on a extra infectious kind.
One of many cats was identified to roll round within the employee’s soiled garments, indicating the virus might have unfold from the garments to the cat. Each cats displayed respiratory and neurological points after an infection, the report stated.
Out of doors cats have been reported to die from H5N1 an infection after ingesting uncooked milk or publicity to contaminated animals, together with cattle and poultry. The examine, printed within the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, was the primary to search out indoor cats with the an infection.
The report was initially posted on the CDC’s web site on Feb. 5, earlier than being taken down throughout the US Well being and Human Companies communications freeze, the New York Occasions beforehand reported.
Efforts by the Trump administration to chop budgets and enact widespread authorities layoffs in a number of well being companies have raised questions on data-sharing throughout the outbreak and confusion over the federal government’s response. Earlier this week, the US Division of Agriculture stated officers monitoring chicken flu had been mistakenly fired and are working to reinstate the staff.
Twenty-four veterinary employees members had interacted with the contaminated cats. Seven of them reported signs of sickness, however the 5 who agreed to testing didn’t have the chicken flu virus, based on the CDC report.
The danger to human well being stays low, the CDC stated, however recommends dairy employees put on protecting gear when working with uncovered animals.
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