In Poland, more and more cats are getting bird flu – and the special return route: Russian authorities advise Crimean tourists to drive through Ukraine

In Poland, the increasing numbers of cases of avian flu infections in cats are worrying cat owners. The H5N1 virus subtype had been detected in 29 of a total of 47 samples by July 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Monday. Samples from 46 cats and one domesticated desert lynx (caracal) were examined. 14 of the cats were euthanized, eleven others died this way.

It is not yet known how the cats became infected, the WHO writes. Investigations were underway. Among other things, it is possible that the cats have had contact with infected birds. According to genome analysis, the cats were infected with the H5N1 line 2.3.4.4b currently circulating in birds.

“Sporadic infections of cats with the A(H5N1) virus have been reported previously, but this is the first report of a large number of infected cats in a large geographic area within a country,” the WHO statement said.

So far, there are no reports that people who have been in contact with infected cats could have contracted it. The risk of such an infection is considered low for the general population and low to moderate for cat owners and people who deal with the infected cats as veterinarians, for example.

In Poland, the first reports of a mysterious disease that kills many cats appeared on a veterinary forum in mid-June. Symptoms include stiffness of the limbs, shortness of breath, convulsions, and seizures. At the end of June, the vet’s headquarters announced that the avian flu virus had been detected in nine of the eleven samples taken from dead cats examined. The infected cats came from distant regions: Danzig (Gdansk) in the north, Poznan (Poznan) in the west and Lublin in the east of the country.

The virus has been found in both indoor and outdoor cats. Polish authorities advise concerned cat owners not to let their animals out of the house or to bring them into contact with wild birds and other wild animals. If the cat has access to the balcony, the floor must be disinfected beforehand. Another recommendation is to keep shoes worn outdoors out of the reach of cats.

(dpa)