Introduction

A team of Polish scientists say they may have pinpointed the cause of the bird flu outbreak in cats that has puzzled pet owners in the country for weeks.

Rare Viral Disease Claims Lives of Cats

A viral disease rarely seen in cats has claimed the lives of at least 16 pets.

Study Results Revealed on Twitter

On Monday evening, virologist Krzysztof Berke released a statement on Twitter about the results of a study he conducted with his colleagues.

He reported that “the assessment showed that food is one of the possible routes of transmission of the pathogen.” Burke added that he and his colleagues asked owners of infected cats to send in samples of the meat they fed their pets.

“The analysis showed that one of the five samples contained the virus,” the researcher said. He added that several other factors led him to believe raw meat could be the source of the outbreak. Burke pointed to the fact that the virus appeared in both indoor and outdoor cats (domestic and stray) in different parts of the country, with no signs of cat-to-cat transmission.

However, Burke emphasized that his team did not have conclusive evidence to support his theory and that the meat could have been “contaminated by the owners and the virus developed in the cat’s body.”

Virologists Call for Testing of Meat

However, virologists have urged Poland’s veterinary and health authorities to “consider including meat in H5N1 testing,” warning that the virus could also pose a threat to humans.

Structural Similarities in Bird Flu Strains

Meanwhile, the country’s veterinary institute confirmed on Monday that the bird flu strains in nine confirmed cases share structural similarities, as evidenced by genetic sequencing.

“This indicates that the H5N1 avian influenza viruses analyzed so far originate from a single unknown source,” the scientists concluded.

Outbreak and Symptoms

The outbreak was first reported in mid-June, when cat owners described severe neurological and respiratory symptoms that did not resolve after taking antibiotics or steroids. Since then, there have been dozens of cases of suspected avian influenza in cats.

Global Concerns and Vigilance

The spread of the virus among mammals seen in recent months has alarmed the World Health Organization. While only a handful of human cases have been reported so far, the global watchdog has expressed concern that a new human-to-human strain may eventually emerge and called on all countries to be “highly vigilant”.

Source

Source: RT