India: H5N1 in Cats in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh

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Source: https://bansalnews.com/mp-chhindwara...-meat-ban-zpj/

Cats Bird Flu Outbreaks: Confirmation of bird flu in cats has created a stir, ban on sale of chicken and mutton, Collector gave orders
There has been a stir in Chhindwara city of Madhya Pradesh after the confirmation of H5N1 bird flu in cats, the administration has taken action and quarantined the entire 1 km area, banned the sale of chicken and mutton
Bansal news by Bansal news
February 12, 2025-5:37 PM

Cats Bird Flu Outbreaks: There has been a stir in Chhindwara city of Madhya Pradesh after the confirmation of H5N1 bird flu in cats, the administration has taken action and quarantined the entire 1 km area, banned the sale of chicken and mutton. Also, Linga Gram Panchayat and the rest of the city have been kept under surveillance as a precaution. Samples of some cats were taken. Which were found positive, after which the district administration took this action. District Collector gave order

Samples were taken from the houses of some cat owners of Ward No. 30 and Ward No. 3 of Chhindwara Municipal Corporation, which have been confirmed to be positive. The District Collector said that the families from whose homes samples were taken have been quarantined.

The sale and consumption of chicken and mutton has been banned for 30 days within a radius of 1 km. Also, orders have been given to close all the shops in the area. The available poultry products have also been destroyed. The entry of chicken and mutton products will remain banned till further orders.' The restaurants in the area have also been strictly instructed not to serve non-veg. 9 wards of the city declared infected areas

9 wards of Chhindwara Municipal Corporation 6,7,8,28,29, 30,31,41 and 45 have been declared as bird flu infected areas. Along with this, the entire municipal corporation area and Gram Panchayat Linga have been declared as bird flu surveillance areas....

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https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/6276

[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.msn.com/en-in/health/hea...ts/ar-AA1zQTWJ

In a 1st in India, bird flu detected in domestic cats
Story by Neha Madaan
• 3h

PUNE: The first cases of avian influenza virus (H5N1) in domestic cats in India were reported from Chhindwara district in Madhya Pradesh, raising concerns about the bird flu pathogen mutating and infecting humans.

"H5N1 is classically an avian virus, but certain mutations allow it to replicate in mammalian hosts. This adaptability raises concerns because influenza viruses have the potential to trigger pandemics, as seen in past outbreaks like Covid-19," a scientist said. Scientists from ICAR-NIHSAD and Union govt's animal husbandry department have documented the cases this Jan in Chhindwara, which borders Nagpur - where several big cats died of bird flu in Dec last year.

The scientific team identified the virus as belonging to the 2.3.2.1a lineage, a variant of H5N1 that has caused outbreaks in poultry across India. "These cases represent the first documented instances of this particular strain infecting domestic cats in India," the study says.

It found that all infected cats exhibited symptoms such as high fever, loss of appetite, and lethargy before succumbing to the illness within one to three days after sample collection. The study identified 27 mutations in the virus found in cats. Scientists called for enhanced surveillance in domestic poultry, wild birds, and mammals, including pets and humans, given the virus's ability to jump between species....

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Avian flu detected in 3 cats, bird, MP market shut for 21 days: Ministry
March 1, 2025

After three cats and a bird were found to have the highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara, a market was shut down for 21 days and over 700 chickens were culled to prevent further spread of the infection. All 65 human samples — collected from the pet owners, veterinarians and others who came in contact with the pets — were found to be negative, the Union Health Ministry said in a statement.
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Dr HGS Paxwar, Deputy Director of the Animal Husbandry Department in Chhindwara, said, “The animals were first found to have the infections in January-end. The cats were extremely sick so their samples were sent to the laboratory in Bhopal. When they were found positive for H5N1, we checked what they were consuming. That’s when we identified the market as the probable source of the infection. Unfortunately, samples collected from two meat shops in the market were also found to be positive.” The market was shut down and nearly 758 birds were culled. The birds were buried and a sign was placed stating that the area should not be dug for the next five years. “The owners of the birds were given compensation,” Dr Paxwar said.

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/avian-flu-detected-in-3-cats-bird-mp-market-shut-for-21-days-ministry-9862220/

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Udupi district administration gets alert in the wake of bird flu in state
Mar 10 2025

Media Release

Udupi, Mar 10:
In the backdrop of the appearance of bird flu in Ballari and Chikkaballapur districts of the state, the Health and Animal Husbandry Department has advised the public to take precautionary measures to keep a close watch on poultry farms and meat shops in Udupi district.

There are 12.50 lac chickens in 334 meat (boiler) poultry farms in the district, 35,000 chickens in one egg (layer) poultry farm and 2.50 lac backyard chickens. No cases of bird flu have been reported. Bird flu is caused by viruses (associated with birds). It is currently spread through the excretion, respiratory tract and blood of infected birds, said

Poultry farmers should maintain cleanliness in poultry farms. Farms should be sanitized with appropriate medicine. Information about abnormal deaths of chickens should be given to the veterinarian. Postmortem examination of dead chickens and samples should be given for laboratory testing. Care should be taken to ensure that wild and migratory birds do not come into contact with backyard chickens or farm chickens. Dead chickens should be buried with feathers, droppings, internal organs, etc., and government officials should be allowed to visit and inspect them.

Do not touch sick or accidentally dead birds. Do not pluck, kill or touch the feathers of infected birds at home. Children should not be allowed to touch, play with or carry such birds as they may carry the virus. After touching birds, hands should be washed with soap and water and sanitized. When touching birds, especially chicks, one should wear a cloth/fabric mask over the nose and mouth. After touching birds, one should not rub one's eyes, nose or mouth with one's hands. Chicken meat and eggs should be cooked thoroughly before consumption. Raw chicken products should not be consumed. If any abnormal death of birds is reported, immediately report it to the local authorities and take precautions in euthanizing the dead birds, said district commissioner Dr K Vidyakumari in a statement.

https://daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=1274753