While France is at the peak of the seasonal flu epidemic, all eyes are also turning to avian flu, including the famous H5N1 virus is responsible. It is a virus that has been circulating since the 2000s. It has spread across the surface of the globe via migratory birds and it multiplies in conditions of high animal density such as intensive farming.
This virus is source of concern for different reasons. Several outbreaks were identified in France at the end of 2024 on poultry farms, including a last one in Eure which was classified as “highly pathogenic”.
The estimate of health risk in France determined by the authorities has, since November 9, been “high”. A first case of human death was declared this week in UNITED STATES.
We have known since 2022 that cats could carry the virus. And it wouldn’t just be anecdotal. Pierre Bessière, virologist at the Toulouse veterinary school, analyzed blood samples taken from 578 cats in veterinary clinics in France.
Of these 578 cats, 1% were positive for H5N1. It may seem tiny, but on the scale of the feline population, it is not, because if we estimate the number of cats that go out at 15 million, that’s several tens of thousands of cats that could be carriers, and in the body of which the H5N1 virus has therefore adapted to be able to lodge.
H5N1 virus can trigger symptoms in infected cats
Some cats may display symptoms characteristic of a respiratory infection: cough, breathing difficulties, fever, general health problems. But we can also have neurological disorders, convulsions.
The researcher Pierre Bessiere encourages veterinarians to hypothesize contamination by the avian flu virus for cats presenting this type of symptoms, especially if they go out and if they live in a risky environment: near farms , or natural areas with the presence of migratory birds.
Without being catastrophic, there may be inter-species transmissions of this virus and a risk for humans in contact with carrier cats. However, the virus would have to mutate to be able to adapt to the particularities of the human body, and also be able to survive at a body temperature in humans which is lower than that of birds and cats. But it is a risk that exists.
If you live near poultry farmsbe vigilant about your cat’s health. Talk to your veterinarian during a consultation. And to prevent your cat from being exposed to the virus while hunting, either you restrict its outings, or you can hang a small bell on its collar to warn its possible prey so that they can flee.
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