Bird Flu in the News… but Probably Not in Your Pets

If you’ve turned on the news recently, chances are you’ve heard talk about bird flu. Also known as avian flu (and sometimes referred to by the strain H5N1), bird flu is a strain of the influenza virus found primarily in birds. Human cases are rare, but present as fever, difficulty breathing, gastrointestinal upset, and conjunctivitis. At this time, cases in domestic animals are extremely limited.

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The Current State
The H5N1 virus has existed for several decades now, but has come and gone from relevance based on the number of observed cases and the concern for cross-species transmission.

The CDC is monitoring the spread of bird flu in the United States, and classifies the current public health risk as “low.” The vast majority of human cases have come from agricultural employees working in close proximity to infected cattle or poultry, while the CDC reports no known person-to-person spread at this time.

At present there have been two confirmed cases of bird flu in cats in the United States. There are no known cases of bird flu in dogs at the time of writing.

Concerns for Progression
While the CDC reports a low current public health risk, a major point of concern comes from the ability of viruses to mutate rapidly, giving rise to new strains with new characteristics. While bird flu poses minimal threat to humans and pets in its current form, the American Veterinary Medical Association cites concerns that “H5N1 will eventually mutate into a lethal strain capable of human-to-human transmission.”
​Because of the rapid pace of developments, it’s good to frequently update yourself through a reliable source such as the CDC’s Bird Flu Situation Summary.

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What You Can Do
At present the risk to you and your pets is low, but especially with concerns around mutation, there are common-sense steps you can take to reduce this risk further.
Bird flu has only been found in two domestic animals thus far; both were cats who were fed raw diets in opposition to the advice of veterinarians and public health officials. The CDC advises avoiding direct contact with living or dead wild birds, bird feces, or potentially infected stagnant water such as ponds, puddles, and bird baths. If you visit any especially high-risk locations such as farms (relevant in our area!), the AVMA also recommends cleaning and disinfecting clothes, shoes, and hands before interacting with your pets.

In summary…
Practice common sense. Don’t touch wild or dead birds, and don’t let your pet eat them. Don’t feed your pets unpasteurized animal proteins. If you believe you’ve been in contact with any surface that may be infected, thoroughly wash your hands and disinfect any affected clothing.

It’s natural to worry about your pets, and after 2020 it’s hard not to brace for the worst any time we hear about a new virus or a new strain. Right now the risk of you or your pets contracting bird flu is very low, and our team is closely monitoring the updates to know if and when that may change.

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