How do cats become infected with avian influenza A (H5N1) viruses?
All of the cases of influenza A (H5N1) infection in household cats reported to date have been associated with H5N1 outbreaks among domestic poultry or wild birds and are thought to have occurred by the cat eating raw infected meat. What is the current risk that a cat will become infected with infected A (H5N1) virus in the United States? Influenza A (H5N1) virus has not been identified in the United States, so at this time there is no known risk of a U.S. cat becoming infected with this virus.
