California - Avian flu in mammals and livestock 2024

[sharon sanders]

For Immediate Release:

December 31, 2024 Public Health Warns Against Feeding Pets Raw Food Following H5 Bird Flu Virus Detection




The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is advising residents to not feed their pets Monarch Raw Pet Food sold at several farmers markets in California due to detection of H5 bird flu virus in product samples. A house cat that consumed this product has been confirmed H5 bird flu positive. Four other house cats from the same household are presumed to have also been positive for H5 bird flu after consuming the product.



Residents who fed their pets Monarch raw pet food products or other raw meat or dairy products and notice their pet is experiencing symptoms should immediately contact their veterinarian. A listing of farmers market locations where the raw pet food was sold can be found on the product website.



Residents should avoid consumption of all raw milk and raw meat products and not feed these to their pets.



Public Health recently confirmed H5 bird flu in four house cats from a separate household that consumed recalled raw milk and became sick and died, which is part of an ongoing investigation. Cats infected with H5 bird flu can develop severe illness that may include neurologic signs, respiratory signs or liver disease that can rapidly progress to death. There have been no human cases of bird flu associated with exposure to these cats yet identified.



About H5 Bird Flu



H5 bird flu refers to various strains of influenza A viruses that typically infect birds. While these viruses mainly affect wild birds, sometimes they also infect other animals, including wild and domestic animals (including seals, foxes, cats, and cows). H5N1 is one type of avian influenza that has been spreading among birds and mammals, leading to a nationwide outbreak. This is the first time these bird flu viruses have been found to be spreading in cows. The overall risk of H5 bird flu to the public remains low. There is currently no evidence of person to person spread of this virus.



Public Health has been working with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the local LA County agricultural community to ensure key risk groups, including farm workers, workers at dairy, egg, and meat processing facilities and backyard flock owners receive information and resources to help identify and protect against this infection; this includes access to gloves, face masks and eye protection along with access to testing and flu vaccines.



Public Health has confirmed the first case of H5 bird flu in a human in Los Angeles County who was exposed to livestock infected with H5 Bird flu at a worksite.



Symptoms of H5 bird flu virus infection in humans may include:

• Eye redness or discharge
• Cough
• Sore throat
• runny or stuffy nose
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• muscle or body aches
• Headaches
• Fatigue
• trouble breathing
• Fever

Symptoms in cats infected with H5 bird flu may vary and include:

• Loss of appetite
• Tiredness
• Respiratory and/or neurological signs

For questions or to find a nearby clinic or doctor, residents can call the Public Health InfoLine at 833-540-0473. Open every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.



For more information, visit our websites:



Avian flu in animals: publichealth.lacounty.gov/vet/HPAI.htm



Avian flu in humans: ph.lacounty.gov/acd/diseases/h5n1.htm

http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/phcommon/public/media/mediapubhpdetail.cfm?prid=4923

[sharon sanders]

2 more....

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/hpai-confirmed-cases-livestock

[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.aol.com/news/owner-two-c...212900682.html

Owner of two cats that died after drinking H5N1 recalled milk threatens to sue
LA Times
Susanne Rust
January 3, 2025 at 4:29 PM

As cats acrossSouthern California die from consuming human and pet food contaminated by the H5N1 bird flu virus, one pet owner has decided to fight back — using legal recourse to obtain financial restitution for the tens of thousands of dollars he says he spent trying to save the lives of his three pet cats.

On Wednesday, lawyers for Jordan Journell — a San Bernardino resident who said two of his four cats died and a third was hospitalized for more than week after consuming raw milk containing the H5N1 virus — sent a letter to Mark McAfee, owner of Fresno-based Raw Farm LLC, demanding McAfee "cease all communication with Mr. Journell and reimburse him" for the money Journell spent on veterinary services, lost wages and "other out-of-pocket expenses."

Since Dec. 1, at least 11 California house cats have died as a result of consuming contaminated raw milk and raw pet food. Seven have been reported in Los Angeles County, two in Santa Barbara County and Journell's two in San Bernardino County...

[Commonground]

[Pathfinder]

He gave his cats raw milk because he thought it was healthier. He says it tragically backfired


By JONEL ALECCIA
Updated 7:06 AM CST, January 12, 2025
....
Journell lost his 14-year-old tabby, Alexander, and Tuxsie, a 4-year-old tuxedo cat, in late November. A third cat, 4-year-old Big Boy, was hospitalized for a week before tests showed the animal was infected with the H5N1 bird flu virus.

The cats drank unpasteurized milk from lots recalled by Raw Farm, of Fresno, whose dairy products were pulled from California store shelves in December after health officials found the virus in milk for sale, he said. The animals’ deaths were confirmed by state and county health officials. The cats were kept indoors, with no access to potentially infected birds, and ate conventional, not raw, pet food, the owner said.

Journell said he had been drinking Raw Farm milk himself for several months because he heard it had “better immunity and healing properties” than pasteurized milk. He thought it might be able to help Alexander, who had been losing weight.
...
Nearly a dozen cats in California have died since early December after consuming raw milk or raw pet food contaminated with bird flu, health officials have said.
...

https://apnews.com/article/raw-milk-california-cats-bird-flu-c3f6201216efb2a7e98ca143329a631a

[sharon sanders]

Please see:

US H5N1 Avian Flu in Domestic Cats List

https://flutrackers.com/forum/forum/united-states/h5n1-tracking-af/996286-us-h5n1-avian-flu-in-domestic-cats-list

[Commonground]

Is bird flu subsiding in Tulare County? What to know as virus reshapes farming practices
1/13/25
Excerpt:


Despite the concerns about the future of bird flu, recent numbers show the disease has been declining in Tulare County.

There were 18 confirmed cases of human bird flu in Tulare County, according to the Tulare County Health and Human Services Agency’s Jan. 7 update. There has not been a new case in the county since Dec. 10.

New confirmed cases of bird flu among cattle were found in 149 California dairies in the past 30 days, according to the state's Department of Food and Agriculture. This is less than half of the 311 California dairies with bird flu cases reported last month.
-snip-
A commercial duck meat breeder in Tulare County had an outbreak affecting 41,100 ducks that was reported on Dec. 14, but the county has not had a bird flu case affecting poultry since.

These reports seem to show that bird flu is subsiding in Tulare County. But ag officials aren't as optimistic.
"I think we have seen it breakthrough its highest rate of infection,” said Tricia Stever Blattler, Tulare County Farm Bureau executive director. “I am certainly not a medical professional, but my anecdotal knowledge of the situation is that a big percentage of our dairies have had it, have had an ability to respond to it and treat it, and are coming off of it.
-snip-

“From some of the information I'm seeing, I think it's the case that the infection rate has slowed,” said Tom Tucker, Tulare County agricultural commissioner, who gets much of his information from the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

“Part of what they were telling us, at least in the dairy side of things, was that they were waiting for what they believed was herd immunity,” he said. “At some point, whoever was going to get infected, got infected, and whoever wasn't, wasn't.”

Continued: https://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/st...s/77585645007/

[sharon sanders]

bump this

[Shiloh]

Source: https://heysocal.com/2025/01/18/heal...ardino-county/


Health officials confirm 1st bird flu case in San Bernardino County
Health Jan 18, 2025

Local health officials on Wednesday announced San Bernardino County’s first confirmed case of H5N1 bird flu in a domestic cat.

According to the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health, the cat was one of three felines that consumed recalled raw milk from Raw Farm LLC. Two of the cats have died, and the third was hospitalized, treated and has recovered.

The cats’ owner did not test positive for H5N1 bird flu, and currently there are no reported human cases of bird flu in the county, officials said. Also, no person-to-person spread of the virus has been detected in California.

“The cats were not under the care of county services at the time of medical treatment,” according to the health department.

“While the risk of H5N1 bird flu to the general public remains low, this case, found in a cat, serves as a reminder of the importance of avoiding raw milk and ensuring safe practices when handling food and interacting with animals or their environments,” San Bernardino County Health Officer Sharon Wang said in a statement...