Anyone else watching the whole H5N1thing unfolding? Stories of it infecting outdoor cats is upsetting

[LuvOrlando]

https://bnonews.com/index.php/2024/05/4-more-cats-die-of-h5n1-bird-flu-in-the-u-s/

Growing concerned about everyone's kitties, it is nice out and many cats get to be outdoor cats now. Think they should be giving some guidance like maybe keep cats inside until they know more like how fast it can move. I remember how fast West Nile spread in birds and in a blink everyone had dead birds.

Also, the article says they are watching for spread, wish there would be tests for sale and we could all help out with watching. I think we all proved we are capable of participating in public health concerns and even if some people didn't report if the tests are opened up there would be enough volume to avoid gaps.

 

[ChrisFL]

More humans testing positive also. I posted a thread a few weeks about it and nobody seemed to care

 

[Dan Murphy]

they should be giving some guidance like maybe keep cats inside

That works. Helps keep them from looking like roofing shingles on the highways also.

 

[Beezle2]

I have not heard anything about it but yes, cross species infection is concerning.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

Very concerning!

 

[kdonnel]

Outdoor cats are bad for cats, people, and the environment.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7070728/

https://ecologyforthemasses.com/2019/10/07/outdoor-cats-are-a-problem/


Maybe some cross species infection involving outdoor cats will make some owners transition into responsible pet owners.

 

[LuvOrlando]

More humans testing positive also. I posted a thread a few weeks about it and nobody seemed to care

I didn't see your post.

When the story first came out it the buzz seemed mostly about raw milk and that seemed to be an easy enough thing to avoid especially for pets. I mean a person would need to help a cat get raw milk but as this morphs it got my attention, there are just so many wild cats everywhere. The story about the cats made me think of how fast West Nile got around with birds (everyone seemed to have dead birds including me) and then the poor deer wasting disease, that is another wildlife mess

 

[mom2rtk]

More humans testing positive also. I posted a thread a few weeks about it and nobody seemed to care

For good or bad, I think lots of people are just over stuff like this. I know I am. I don't want to hear any of the H5N1 stuff. Besides, what good will it do (assuming you don't have outdoor cats)?

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

It hasn't shown human to human transmission yet (and yes I am knocking on wood as I type this.) So for now, I think don't handle dead birds, especially waterfowl, and don't handle cow udders is sufficient.

Edit. And don't drink raw milk as pointed out below.

 

[ChrisFL]

For good or bad, I think lots of people are just over stuff like this. I know I am. I don't want to hear any of the H5N1 stuff. Besides, what good will it do (assuming you don't have outdoor cats)?

You could be more educated to keep yourself safer. One thing being advised against is drinking raw milk for example which is still legal to do in some states.

 

[VandVsmama]

Keep your cats indoors and that will help the situation a bit.

 

[mom2rtk]

You could be more educated to keep yourself safer. One thing being advised against is drinking raw milk for example which is still legal to do in some states.

I don't drink raw milk. I think I'll be fine if I don't plug in and pay attention. Sitting around stewing about it won't make me even a tiny bit safer.