USDA Adds Cats & House Mouse To Mammals Affected by H5N1 - 5 Cats Added on 7/2 (n=30)

[Michael Coston]

USDA Adds House Mouse To Mammals Affected by H5N1




#18,101

Last week the USDA added domestic cats to their list of mammalian infections, and in today's update, they've added 11 infections of a new species Mus musculus (the common house mouse), all from a single county (Roosevelt) in New Mexico.



While it is not surprising that mice are susceptible to H5N1, given past laboratory experiments (see NIH Assessing avian influenza in dairy milk), this is the first time they've been placed on the USDA's list.

There are no details provided on where these mice were collected, or if they we're symptomatic, or even dead. While it seems likely these were barn mice at a dairy farm, it would be nice to have those details.​

In any event, the number of mammalian spillovers reported to the USDA continue to grow, and now sits a 259, spread across 22 species.



Given the sparse surveillance, and the difficulty in locating and testing sick or dead animals in the wild, this is likely a huge under-counting of affected mammals.

https://afludiary.blogspot.com/2024/06/usda-adds-house-mouse-to-mammals.html
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[Commonground]

This may explain the cats that are not affiliated with Dairy farms, getting infected with H5N1.

 

[Michael Coston]

USDA Adds 3 Dozen Additional Mice To H5N1 Infected List





#18,116

A week ago, in USDA Adds House Mouse To Mammals Affected by H5N1, 11 infections of a new species Mus musculus (the common house mouse) - all from a single county (Roosevelt) in New Mexico - were added to the USDA's list.

While no details were provided as to where these mice were sampled, yesterday WOAH's WAHIS dashboard carried a report stating that `Wild house mice (Mus musculus) and wild red fox (Vulpes vulpes) collected from an HPAI affected poultry premises.'​

While there was speculation last week that these mice came from a dairy farm, and were likely infected by consuming contaminated milk, the (above) disclosure that they were collected on a poultry farm adds an intriguing twist.

Today, the USDA updated their list, adding 3 dozen more mice to their list, bringing the total to 47.



The collection dates range from May 6th to May 12th. There are no other details provided. Since this is reportedly a poultry operation, and not a dairy, it is unclear what genotype of the virus is involved.

Today's report also includes 3 more reports of infections in domestic cats.



Hopefully we'll get some additional details sooner rather than later.

​https://afludiary.blogspot.com/2024/06/usda-adds-3-dozen-additional-mice-to.html

 

[Michael Coston]

USDA Adds An Additional 19 Mice To HPAI Detections in Mammals List (n=66)






#18,133


Two weeks ago the USDA added a new species - the common house mouse (Mus musculus) - to their list of mammals with HPAI H5N1. On June 4th they posted the first 11 detections, all in Roosevelt County, New Mexico. Last Tuesday they added 36 more.

While no details were provided as to how or where these mice were sampled, last week a WOAH WAHIS dashboard carried a report stating that `Wild house mice (Mus musculus) and wild red fox (Vulpes vulpes) collected from an HPAI affected poultry premises.'​

For the 3rd Tuesday running the USDA has updated their list by adding 19 more mice, all presumably from the same location (see list below).




Among the unknowns, we don't know if all of these mice were found dead, or if some (or all) were live-trapped. We don't know how widespread they might be on the farm, or whether some were captured outside of the poultry houses.

We don't even know if this is the same B3.13 clade that has affected cattle, or if they display any genetic changes of note.​

The lack of detail from the USDA is particularly frustrating, as this is an unusually large (and growing) number of detections in a mammalian species that - until two weeks ago - had never been listed.

More detailed answers are eagerly awaited.

https://afludiary.blogspot.com/2024/06/usda-adds-additional-19-mice-to-hpai.html​

 

[Michael Coston]

USDA Adds An Additional 5 Domestic Cats To HPAI Detections in Mammals List (n= 26)





#18,150



In today's update from the USDA, 5 more domestic cats (4 in Texas, 1 in Minnesota) have been added to the list of H5N1 infected mammals, along with with 2 raccoons, 1 striped skunk, and a red fox. For the first time in 3 weeks no additional mice were added to the list.



While the total number of infected mammals in the United States now sits at 327, this is undoubtedly a massive undercount, as many states aren't actively looking, and many animals die in remote places and are never tested.


We've known for two decades that large cats in captivity (when fed infected poultry) can contract HPAI H5N1 (see 2004 CIDRAP Report), and we've seen scattered reports of dogs and cats infected with the virus (see 2015'sHPAI H5: Catch As Cats Can) in the years since.

But since the emergence of a new, more transmissible H5N1 virus in 2021, the number of companion animals (and other mammals) reported to be infected has risen sharply.​

Infections have ranged from asymptomatic (in dogs and cats in Italy) to severe and often fatal in other countries (see Preprint: Avian Influenza Virus Infections in Felines: A Systematic Review of Two Decades of Literature).

Despite this steep increase in reports, it is likely that many cases have gone unreported.​

While the risks to humans from H5N1 remains low, the CDC offers the following advice for pet owners.

Pet Owners

If your domestic animals (e.g., cats or dogs) go outside and could potentially eat or be exposed to sick or dead birds infected with bird flu viruses, or an environment contaminated with bird flu virus, they could become infected with bird flu. While it's unlikely that you would get sick with bird flu through direct contact with your infected pet, it is possible. For example, in 2016, the spread of bird flu from a cat to a person was reported in NYC. The person who was infected [2.29 MB, 4 pages] was a veterinarian who had mild flu symptoms after prolonged exposure to sick cats without using personal protective equipment.

If your pet isshowing signs of illness compatible with bird flu virus infection and has been exposed to infected (sick or dead) wild birds/poultry, you should monitor your health for signs of fever or infection.
How to prevent spread

As a general precaution, people should avoid direct contact with wild birds and observe wild birds only from a distance, whenever possible. People should also avoid contact between their pets (e.g., pet birds, dogs and cats) with wild birds. Don't touch sick or dead birds, their feces or litter, or any surface or water source (e.g., ponds, waterers, buckets, pans, troughs) that might be contaminated with their saliva, feces, or any other bodily fluids without wearing personal protective equipment (PPE). More information about specific precautions to take for preventing the spread of bird flu viruses between animals and people is available at Prevention and Antiviral Treatment of Bird Flu Viruses in People. Additional information about the appropriate PPE to wear is available at Backyard Flock Owners: Take Steps to Protect Yourself from Avian Influenza.

People Who Have Had Direct Contact with Infected or Potentially Infected Animals

During outbreaks of bird flu in wild birds and/or poultry, people who have had direct contact with infected or potentially infected animals, including sick animals that might have eaten bird flu-infected birds, should monitor their health for fever and symptoms of infection.

Signs and Symptoms may include:​

• Fever (Temperature of 100°F [37.8°C] or greater) or feeling feverish/chills*
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Difficulty breathing/Shortness of breath
• Conjunctivitis (eye tearing, redness, irritation, or discharge from eye)
• Headaches
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Muscle or body aches
• Diarrhea

*Fever may not always be present

Call your state/local health department immediately if you develop any of these signs or symptoms during the 10-days after your exposure to an infected or potentially infected animal. Discuss your potential exposure and ask about testing. If testing is recommended, isolate as much as possible until test results come back and/or you have recovered from your illness.

Additionally, close contacts (family members, etc.) of people who have been exposed to a person or animal with lab-confirmed bird flu viruses should also monitor their health for 10 days after their exposure for signs and symptoms of illness. If close contacts of people who have been exposed to H5 bird flu viruses develop signs and symptoms of illness, they should also contact their state health department.​

(Continue . . . )

​https://afludiary.blogspot.com/2024/06/usda-adds-additional-5-domestic-cats-to.html

 

[Michael Coston]

USDA Adds An Additional 4 Domestic Cats To HPAI Detections in Mammals List (n= 30)

18,161




Five weeks ago - for the very first time - theUSDA began adding infected domestic cats to their Mammals with H5N1 list. While we'd seen sporadic reports of H5N1 in American cats previously (see here & here) - and in other countries (see Poland, South Korea, and France) - since the spillover into cattle reports had suddenly accelerated.

That first report included 16 cats, going back to March. All but one (from Montana) came from states already reporting H5N1 in dairy cows.​

Since then, we've seen that number steadily rise, and while likely an undercount, the total (since March) now stands at 30, with Texas, Michigan, and New Mexico topping the list, each reporting 7.




Mammals - including domestic cats - often die in remote and difficult to access places where their carcasses are quickly scavenged by other animals, meaning most never discovered or tested. And of course, some of these animals are likely to survive the infection, and are never tested.


While H5N1 has been detected in birds across all 50 states, but only 30 states have reported the virus in mammalian wildlife.

Of those, 7 states (Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Vermont) have only reported a single incident, while New Mexico leads with 78 (including 66 mice from a poultry farm).​

It is probably fair to assume that some states are looking harder than others, but other factors - including differences in terrain and climate - may be hindering investigations.

With so much H5 circulating in the wild, one of the concerns is the potential for companion animals (primarily cats) to bring avian influenza from the wild into the home (see A Brief History Of Avian Influenza In Cats). While the risk is considered low, it is not zero.

Although dogs are also susceptible to H5N1 (see EID Journal: Antibodies to Influenza A(H5N1) Virus in Hunting Dogs Retrieving Wild Fowl, Washington, USA ), they tend to have milder (often asymptomatic) infections.​

While the CDC considers the risks to humans from H5N1 to be low, they offer a web page with extensive advice for pet owners.

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https://afludiary.blogspot.com/2024/07/usda-adds-additional-4-domestic-cats-to.html
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