2023-07-29 13:32:04
Public health
Bird flu is raging in cats around the world
The World Health Organization is concerned regarding the increase in cases of this virus, fearing that it is evolving enough to seriously infect humans.
PostedJuly 29, 2023, 3:32 PM
Symptoms in cats are more quickly detected by their owners than in wild animals.
Ozan KOSE / AFP
More and more cats are contracting the H5N1 virus – a strain of avian flu – or even succumbing to it all over the world: 34 in Poland, 38 in South Korea or even 6 in the United States, just This year. Infections noted because they quickly worry owners who note symptoms such as lethargy, loss of appetite and difficulty breathing in their pets.
Felines are not the only species affected, we learn from the Parisian. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified hundreds of cases around the world in different mammals (foxes, raccoons, sea lions, etc.), raising fears of an adaptation of the virus to humans. The organization had already sounded the alarm at the start of the year. “It’s quite worrying! “, exclaims in the columns of the French daily Yannick Simonin, lecturer in virology at the University of Montpellier.
Poland might be the original focus of the infection. Already 36 cases have been identified in cats. One of the hypotheses put forward by experts is the consumption of “seized” birds. For the moment, no human has shown symptoms in Poland but vigilance remains in order. The rare human cases detected elsewhere are due to contact with infected animals. WHO calls for caution and increased monitoring of the situation. The scientists also recommend a vaccination campaign among birds as soon as possible. For Yannick Simonin, “we haven’t finished hearing regarding H5N1”.
(jem)Show comments
1690646181
#Diseases #Bird #flu #raging #cats #world
