It’s likewise been recommended that cats must not be permitted to take advantage of water birds, the federal government has actually said.
The guidance comes as 25 cats passed away in Poland last month following a break out of bird influenza (likewise called bird influenza) in Poland, indicating researchers and public health authorities are on alert due to the “increasing threat to mammals” from the infection, the i newspaper reports.
Cat owners in the UK prompted to prevent feeding their animal raw chicken in the middle of bird influenza break out in Poland
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) isn’t recommending cats in the UK needs to remain inside your home and says that the threat to cats is “very low”, however individuals must still take “reasonable precautions” to restrict any risk of the infection dispersing.
It included that avoiding cats from having contact with wild birds such as victimizing waterfowl and avoiding them from feeding upon raw poultry or water birds, might lower the threat of capturing bird influenza.
A Defra representative said: “The latest evidence suggests that the avian influenza viruses we’re seeing circulating in birds do not spread easily to people, and there is no evidence that pet cats or dogs are infected in the UK at present.”
Great Skuas, or Bonxies, was among the types worst impacted by bird influenza in 2015. This summertime we’re dealing with partners to survey the breeding population of Bonxies in a quote to much better comprehend the effect of bird influenza.
Watch the complete video here: pic.twitter.com/XD7sSlvhHC
— RSPB Scotland (@RSPBScotland) July 20, 2023
Can people get bird influenza?
Bird influenza can impact people however it depends upon the stress of the infection, the NHS has actually said.
There are several kinds of bird influenza infections and a number of them don’t infect humans. However, there are four strains that have caused concern in recent years
- H5N1 (since 1997)
- H7N9 (since 2013)
- H5N6 (since 2014)
- H5N8 (since 2016)
The NHS says although H5N1, H7N9 and H5N6 do not easily contaminate people and aren’t usually spread by human contact, there have been several people infected around the world, resulting in a number of deaths.
The H5N1 virus is the most prevalent strain in circulation at the moment.
For the first time in February 2021, H5N8 was found to have infected a small number of people in Russia.
What are the symptoms of bird flu?
The main symptoms of bird flu can appear very quickly, reports the NHS, and include:
- a very high temperature or feeling hot or shivery
- aching muscles
- headache
- a cough or shortness of breath
Other early symptoms may also appear within three to five days after you have been infected, such as diarrhoea, sickness, stomach pain, chest pain, bleeding from the nose and gums and conjunctivitis.
Ongoing avian influenza (#BirdFlu) outbreaks in animals pose risks to people too – countries should work together and across sectors of society, to protect people and save as many animals as possible pic.twitter.com/fMlOVnqkSY
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) July 12, 2023
More severe complications such as pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome can develop days after initial symptoms.
How does bird flu spread to humans?
The virus can be spread by close contact with an infected bird that is dead or alive.
This includes:
- touching infected birds
- touching droppings or bedding
- killing or preparing infected poultry for cooking
How to prevent bird flu
If you are visiting an area or foreign country that has recently had an outbreak of bird flu, you can follow these steps to prevent your chances of getting the virus.
The NHS says:
- wash your hands often with warm water and soap, especially before and after handling food, in particular, raw poultry
- use different utensils for cooked and raw meat
- make sure meat is cooked until steaming hot
- avoid contact with live birds and poultry
Use NHS 111 online (111.nhs.uk) or call NHS 111 if you experience any symptoms of bird flu and have actually visited an area affected by bird influenza in the previous 10 days.
