Experts have warned that bird flu in domestic cats could transmit to humans, raising concerns for public health.
According to Real Clear Science, more than 80 house cats have been detected with bird flu since 2022, but during the current outbreak of the H5N1 virus, the number of infected cats has been rising.
Usually, cats that live on farms or spend time outside have a higher risk of catching viruses from wild birds and hunting diseased rodents, but now cats are also catching the virus after eating raw food or drinking unpasteurized milk.
Virologist Angela Rasmussen, who studies disease progression in emerging viruses at the University of Saskatchewan’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, said, “Companion animals, especially cats, are 100% a public health risk in terms of the potential for zoonotic transmission to people.”
Experts explained that the risk to public health arises from cats carrying viruses, as people often cuddle and sleep with them. Rasmussen emphasized that cat owners need to understand that “by reducing the risk to your cats, you reduce the risk to yourself.”
Furthermore, the current variant of the virus does not spread from person to person, and there is no evidence of cat-to-human transmission, but the concern has always been there.
