H5N1 Likely Infected 1 Los Angeles Veterinarian From a Cat, Raising Pandemic Fears
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Jun 22
H5N1 Likely Infected 1 Los Angeles Veterinarian From a Cat, Raising Pandemic Fears
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Jun 22
Summary
A Los Angeles veterinarian was the first reported human likely infected with H5N1 from a cat, a case highlighted as a new zoonotic risk.
Since 2022, the bird flu virus has killed hundreds of cats worldwide, with infections tied to eating wild birds or rodents, exposure on dairy or poultry farms, and raw poultry diets.
Infected cats often die within two to three days, frequently with rabies-like neurological symptoms, leaving little time for treatment and no established safe Tamiflu dose for cats.
Researchers worry cats could act as viral “mixing vessels” that generate new strains, adding to concerns they could help seed a future pandemic virus.