Cats can cause a new pandemic: scientists pay attention

Scientists warn that cats can become a source of a new pandemic. The H5N1 bird flu virus is actively changing from birds to cats and poses a threat to humans. Researchers advise cat owners to be careful with their nutrition and avoid contact with four-legged animals.

According to the results of a large-scale study under the guidance of Professor Kristen Coleman of the University of Maryland, 607 cases of cat infection in 18 countries were recorded from 2004 to 2024, of which 302 ended in fatal outcomes. The most dangerous was the H5N1 strain of 2.3.4.4b, the mortality of which reached 89.6%.

Professor Collman noted that the evolution of the virus causes serious fears, as it can be transmitted between different species, for example, from birds to cats, and possibly from cats to humans.

Now the infection of cats occurs not only through the consumption of infected birds, but also through raw milk from diseased cows. Contact with infected animals can cause encephalitis in cats that is sometimes mistaken for rabies. In some cases, sick cats are blind.

Since the beginning of 2022, 66 cases of infection with H5N1 have been registered in the United States, mainly among farmers, one of which ended in death. Although there are no confirmed cases of transmission of the virus from person to person, scientists are concerned about the possibility of further mutation of the virus.

Scientists have also drawn attention to the risk of mass outbreaks in animals whose administration should be especially cautious. A similar situation happened in New York in 2016, when the virus was passed from cats to people.