India, Feb. 21 -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported two cases of severe H5N1 bird flu in indoor cats, possibly linked to dairy farm workers.
According to the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the cats may have caught the virus from drinking unpasteurized milk from sick cows or eating raw pet food. Outdoor cats could also get infected by coming into contact with sick or dead animals.
In May 2024, two cats from different homes developed serious breathing and nerve-related symptoms. Tests showed they had the same strain of H5N1 that was spreading among cows at the time.
Health officials offered flu tests to the cat owners and their families. One owner, who worked on a dairy farm, refused testin...