Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, TVMDL, pathologist Josué Díaz-Delgado, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVP, and pathology resident Margaret Odom, DVM, recently co-authored a literature review examining high pathogenicity avian influenza, HPAI, subtype H5N1 infection in feline species.
This publication was the result of an international collaboration between scientists from the Animal and Plant Health Agency, APHA, and the World Organization for Animal Health, WOAH, United Kingdom.
Since 2020, the global spread of these genetically related avian influenza viruses has caused major losses in wild and domestic birds and increased reports of spillover to mammals. Domestic and wild cats have shown susceptibility to infection, highlighting the need to assess their role in disease dynamics.
The review provides an outline of what is currently known about HPAI H5N1 infections in feline species, focusing on domestic and captive wild cats. It discusses epidemiology, transmission, clinical presentation, diagnostic approaches, and management strategies, while also offering a current perspective on risk assessment and prevention.
Recent reports of HPAI infections in U.S. dairy cattle, which are likely linked to exposure from wild birds and mammal-to-mammal transmission, underscore the need for continued surveillance and vigilance.
While cats are currently considered dead-end hosts, their close contact with humans and other animals warrants ongoing attention from the veterinary community.
Learn more about this review and read the full text by visiting the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery.
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