The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommends, Thursday, July 13, to strengthen the monitoring of possible contamination of cats and dogs by avian flu in areas where the virus circulates. The World Health Organization the day before expressed concern that rising cases of bird flu in mammals could help the virus spread ” easier “ to the human species.
The majority of wild mammals (foxes, weasels, otters, etc.) infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, are “carnivores that hunt wild birds, feed on dead animals, or both”notes the EFSA in a communicated.
But more and more cases are observed in “domestic carnivores”that is to say cats and dogs in contact with humans, who were able to approach infected birds (wild birds or farmed poultry).
“New and unprecedented in Europe” exhibition
In recent weeks, the contamination of five dogs and a cat has been reported in Italy. But, above all, twenty-four cases have been identified in domestic cats since June 10 in various regions of Poland.
The origin of their contamination has not yet been determined, one hypothesis being that they may have ingested raw poultry meat infected with the virus. ” Some “ survived the virus, EFSA reported.
Cases in Polish cats and Italian dogs constitute exposure “new and unprecedented in Europe” as the animals and their owners were in close contact. A case in a domestic cat was reported in France last January.
EFSA stresses that pet owners are generally unaware that their cat or dog may be infected with bird flu or the symptoms to look out for, “as well as a potential risk of transmission [du virus] to themselves and family members..
The agency recommends increasing surveillance of virus manifestations among cats and dogs accustomed to wandering in risk areas, near infected poultry farms or in places where significant seagull mortalities have been observed. She insists on the need to keep these carnivores away from sick or dead animals (birds and mammals).
Two new homes in the Landes
Two new outbreaks of avian flu “highly pathogenic” were identified in the Landes on July 11, the Landes prefecture announced on Thursday. Slaughterings were carried out on Wednesday in the two farms of Saint-Yaguen and Maylis to prevent a spread to other farms, in an area of “very high density” with “breeding poultry essential to the sectors”specifies the prefecture in a communicated.
On Wednesday, the risk level for avian flu had been lowered by ” moderate ” To “negligible”by virtue of an order dated July 7, which referred to “lack of seasonal migration” wild birds and “the stabilization of the epidemiological situation in the wild birds of neighboring countries”.
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These two Landes cases are in addition to the only outbreak known since the beginning of June, detected on June 30 in Pas-de-Calais. “Epidemiological investigations have been undertaken to identify the possible causes of the simultaneous appearance of these two outbreaks”adds the prefecture.