Additional Coverage:
- Cats died after drinking raw milk from bird flu-infected cows (newsbreak.com)
Title: Rare Avian Influenza Outbreak in Texas Links Cat Deaths to Raw Milk
In an unprecedented event at a Texas dairy farm, several cats have succumbed to the avian influenza H5N1 virus after consuming raw milk from infected cows. The incident has raised concerns about the virus’s reach and the vulnerability of domestic animals to diseases typically associated with poultry.
Farm workers discovered the felines deceased without any visible trauma, which led to an investigation revealing that the milk fed to these cats came from cows showing symptoms of the H5N1 infection. Laboratory tests on the deceased cats confirmed high concentrations of the avian influenza virus, indicating a systemic infection that ultimately led to their death.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently found that 20% of milk samples taken from retailers across the United States contained traces of the H5N1 virus. However, it is important to note that the pasteurization process commonly used in milk production is effective in eradicating the virus, posing no threat to human consumption.
Cats are known to be particularly susceptible to severe outcomes from H5N1 infections, including fatal diseases and neurological disorders. This recent spread of H5N1 to cats through raw milk is a novel occurrence, although there have been documented instances in the past where cats have contracted the virus in different contexts.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has confirmed these tragic events, stating that while infected cows typically recover within a month, the impact on feline populations can be devastating. In response to these developments, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have issued new guidelines for veterinarians on how to protect themselves and manage cases of H5N1 in cats efficiently.
Concerns have also risen over the safety of beef products following evidence that the virus may have spread to dairy herds through contamination by wild bird feces. As a precaution, the USDA has begun testing ground beef for traces of H5N1. To date, 34 dairy herds have been affected by the outbreak across the United States, a small fraction of the over 26,000 herds nationwide.
This incident underscores the intricate ways in which diseases can spread across species and highlights the need for vigilant monitoring and stringent health protocols to protect both animal and human populations from emerging threats.
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- Cats died after drinking raw milk from bird flu-infected cows (newsbreak.com)