More than half of cats across the first Texas dairy farm to check optimistic for hen flu this spring died after ingesting uncooked milk from the contaminated cows, scientists reported this week, providing a window right into a toll the virus has taken throughout its unprecedented unfold by means of the cattle business.
The report, revealed Tuesday within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Emerging Infectious Diseases journal, chronicles the early investigation by veterinarians and educational laboratories right into a illness that began spreading by means of cows throughout the area earlier this yr.
Cats on the Texas farm had been fed uncooked milk from cows that turned out to be contaminated with extremely pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI H5N1. A day after the farm first began noticing cows had been getting sick, the cats began getting sick too. By the tip, greater than half of the cats had died.
“The cats had been discovered useless with no obvious indicators of damage and had been from a resident inhabitants of [approximately] 24 home cats that had been fed milk from sick cows,” the scientists wrote.
Tests of the samples collected from the brains and lungs of useless cats yielded outcomes suggesting “excessive quantities of virus.” Autopsies of the cats additionally revealed “microscopic lesions in line with extreme systemic virus an infection,” they mentioned, together with to the attention and mind.
Around 1 in 5 samples of milk the Food and Drug Administration checked from U.S. retailers examined optimistic for H5N1, although the company mentioned final week that research thus far present that pasteurization is working to kill off the virus in milk; solely innocent fragments remained. Officials have repeatedly urged Americans to not drink uncooked milk.
While the unfold of the virus from cows to cats by means of uncooked milk is new, cats have lengthy been recognized to scientists as one of many species particularly vulnerable to extreme illness from H5N1.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has mentioned that deaths and neurological illness in cats have been “extensively reported” round farms with outbreaks of the virus.
By distinction, solely a fraction of cows — as much as 15% —developed indicators of sickness in herds with the an infection, the scientists mentioned. Officials have mentioned that cows largely recuperate inside a month after their infections. The virus has been devastating for poultry flocks that confronted widespread deaths or needed to be culled after contracting the virus from wild birds.
Previous analysis has linked deaths and neurological issues in home cats to H5N1 infections. An earlier research revealed by the CDC journal from Thailand again in 2006 suspected a cat had contracted the virus after consuming an contaminated pigeon.
But the recent infections prompted the CDC this month to subject new steering for veterinarians treating suspect H5N1 instances in cats, urging stepped up measures like donning respirators and goggles to keep away from contracting the virus.
“While it is unlikely that folks would change into contaminated with hen flu viruses by means of contact with an contaminated wild, stray, feral, or home cat, it’s attainable — particularly if there may be extended and unprotected publicity to the animal,” the company mentioned in its steering.
Some instances in people have additionally been suspected to have been attributable to consumption of contaminated birds, like in Cambodia earlier this yr.
Meanwhile, authorities have been racing to curb additional unfold of the virus in dairy cattle, which is believed to have been spreading from cow-to-cow since a single preliminary spillover from wild birds earlier this yr.
“Ingestion of feed contaminated with feces from wild birds contaminated with HPAI virus is presumed to be the probably preliminary supply of an infection within the dairy farms,” the scientists wrote.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture mentioned Monday it will take a look at floor beef offered at retailers for H5N1 and would research how cooking beef may curb potential threat posed by the virus, within the wake of an earlier order ramping up testing on dairy cattle being shipped over state strains.
It is unclear whether or not any floor beef samples have thus far examined optimistic for the virus. Results “are forthcoming” and can be shared when available, the spokesperson mentioned.
Meanwhile, over 2,000 assessments have been run by the division thus far this month from cattle.
“As of April 30, 34 dairy herds have been impacted by H5N1. For context, there are greater than 26,000 dairy herds nationwide,” the spokesperson mentioned in a press release.
