Here are a couple of quick H5N1 flu updates about which I’ve been wanting to write. Neither is very surprising, but they highlight (again) some issues of concern.
(Presumed) fatal H5N1 influenza infection in a cat
An outdoor cat in Washington State tested positive for H5N1 influenza. Spillover of H5N1 infection into cats isn’t new.
A few months ago, there was a cluster of kittens from a dairy goat farm in the Netherlands that likely all died from H5N1 influenza (only one kitten was tested). That wasn’t too surprising since the H5N1 virus is circulating in wild birds internationally, and we know that cats are highly susceptible to the
We’re in the midst of a pretty bad human flu season. That’s a problem by itself, as it also means severe flu cases and hospitalization rates are high, and likely to increase. High flu activity in people also amplifies concerns regarding H5N1 avian influenza, because it creates more opportunities for an infection with both
It’s nice to finally be able to talk about H5N1 influenza without discussing ostriches, but unfortunately, we still have things to talk about.
1) Peacocks. Specifically peacocks that don’t have influenza and aren’t going to be culled.
Last month I posted about an animal sanctuary in BC (Critteraid) that was dealing with an outbreak
Hot on the heels of the H5N1 influenza in ostriches debacle in BC comes a reported outbreak of H5N1 influenza at an animal sanctuary in the same province. The sanctuary (Critteraid Animal Sanctuary) is not one I’ve ever heard of before, but based on their website, it looks like a good operation
As the H5N1 influenza debacle at the Universal Ostrich Farm in British Columbia finally comes to a close, part of me wants to ignore all the crap that’s coming in, but there’s value in recapping this incident in an effort to help move us forward.
Recap: A large flock of captive ostriches was found
The H5N1 influenza situation in North America has been quieter lately (apart from saga with the BC ostriches, but that’s a different story). There’s been less spillover into domestic animals recently and less attention in the news, but the virus is still out there and causing problems. (H5N1 flu activity has already started
Yesterday I wrote about a FDA notice regarding H5N1 contamination of RAWR pet food that killed a cat in California (and likely sickened others, but that’s a guess). A sharp reader pointed me to the manufacturer’s response that must have gone up shortly after I looked at their website. I’ve seen lots of responses from
H5N1 avian influenza has dropped of the media radar lately (apart from the BC ostrich farm debacle, but that’s a different story), but that doesn’t mean it’s gone away (and with the fall wild bird migration season looming, we need to stay on alert). The same applies to H5N1 infections in pets from contaminated
Universal Ostriches. It’s been a ride.
I was involved early in the saga of the H5N1 influenza outbreak on this ostrich farm in BC, answering some questions about the situation and potential options, but eventually stepped back from commenting much as things went off the rails, in part to avoid the flurry of threats
