The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced two cases in Michigan where cats are suspected of being infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) through their owners. All of them are kept indoors, and their owners are engaged in dairy farming work. The CDC warned, “Indoor cats are rarely infected, but infected cats can also infect people.”

According to a report released by the CDC as of the 21st, in May 2024, a five-year-old female cat was exposed to symptoms of loss of appetite and lethargy. The cat was sent to a university facility, but it deteriorated rapidly, and euthanasia was taken. Avian influenza virus was detected in the carcasses.

A dairy cow had been confirmed to be infected with avian influenza on a farm near the owner’s workplace. It is unclear whether the owner was infected because they refused to test, but the CDC noted that “it could have been exposed to infected dairy cows or products contaminated with the virus.”

The second case was a male cat, six months old, and was taken to the same facility around the same time as the first case, but died. The virus was detected. The owner worked on transporting milk to several dairy farms. (Joint)