Eleven cats have tested positive for bird flu following the recall of more contaminated cat food. Scientific sources continue to report that cats are a potential vector for transmitting avian influenza from wild birds to humans. At the same time, more cat food recalls have been announced as contaminated food reaches pet cats, sickening them.
The Colorado Department of Agriculture posted on Facebook on Wednesday that 11 cats, including indoor-only and indoor-outdoor cats, had reportedly contracted the avian flu. According to the department, only one of the infected cats has survived.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, infected cats may show the following symptoms:
- Loss of appetite
- Lethargy
- Fever
- Neurologic signs — circling, tremors, seizures, blindness
- Severe depression
- Heavy discharge from the nose and eyes
- Other respiratory signs
Cats can avoid infection by not allowing them to eat raw poultry products.
According to an alert issued by the Food and Drug Administration in February, the company became aware of a cat in Colorado that contracted H5N1, fell ill, and recovered. The product in question was removed from the market while testing took place. Then, on March 13th, Savage Pet was made aware of an additional case in New York in which a kitten contracted avian flu.
The most recent recall applies to specific lots of Savage Cat Food‘s large and small chicken boxes, which were sold at retailers in California, Colorado, New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington.
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“Cats appear to be particularly susceptible to severe illness, often resulting in death,” the AVMA said in a statement. “The risk of cat-to-human transmission is considered extremely low but may increase with prolonged, unprotected exposure to infected animals.
According to the FDA, no human infections have been identified among people handling raw pet food products. Still, people can become infected if the virus gets into a person’s eyes, nose, or mouth.
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