At the end of December 2022, a cat had to be euthanized following being infected with avian flu in Mauléon, in Deux-Sèvres.
A first in France. On December 28, 2022, the French health authorities notified the World Organization for Animal Health of the detection of the highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus in a cat present in a poultry farm, euthanized on December 23 in Mauléon in the Deux-Sèvres, reports this Tuesday, January 24 West France.
A farm of laying ducks, next to the family home, had been decimated by avian flu a few days before the death of the cat. It is this infected farm which was “at the origin of the contamination of the cat”, writes ANSES in a press release on Tuesday. This cat “suffered from severe neurological symptoms due to the viral infection and had to be euthanized.”
At the end of December, a sick cat tested positive for the avian influenza virus. #H5N1 in the Deux-Sèvres.
The multiplication of transfers of this disease from birds to mammals in different countries calls for vigilance.https://t.co/XIm9iIlI6g— Anses (@Anses_fr) January 24, 2023
“An exceptional case”
According to the virologist at the National Veterinary School of Toulouse Pierre Bessière, this is an “exceptional case”. “An avian virus, by definition, is adapted to birds and is not very good at going to infect a mammal. In certain circumstances, when a mammal is confronted with a large quantity of virus, we can have what we calls for crossing the species barrier”.
On the other hand, it is however not new that a cat “is contaminated by avian flu”, comments Jeanne Brugère-Picoux, member of the National Academy of Medicine and the Veterinary Academy of France with BFM TV.
For her, this first would be mainly due to the fact that we do not test cats or dogs a lot for this disease.
Avian flu is progressing in France at the heart of poultry farms, with 286 outbreaks recorded by the authorities since August 1, which marks the start of the 2022-2023 epizootic. 4.6 million poultry have also been slaughtered since the same date, mainly between December and January, recalls AFP, quoted by Point.
