What is the current risk that a cat will become infected with highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in the United States?
Top A: The strain of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) that has circulated in Asia, Africa, and Europe has not yet been identified in the United States, so the risk of a cat contracting the disease in this country is currently very low. Although the risk of feline infection is also low in Europe, increases in the number of wild birds affected and the death of the cat in Germany have caused the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control to issue preliminary recommendations for cat owners living in H5N1 HPAI-affected areas. These precautionary measures include keeping domestic cats indoors to prevent exposure to potentially infected birds, avoiding contact with free-roaming and feral cats living outside the home, and avoiding feeding raw poultry to cats. Owners of ill cats, particularly those known or suspected to have been exposed to sick or dead birds, are encouraged to have their cats examined by a veterinarian.
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- What is the current risk that a cat will become infected with highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in the United States?
