LA County warns bird flu is killing cats as human cases top 65 nationwide

[Meowmee]

26. It is spread to people by contact and aerosol, as well as through raw milk so far apparently link posted

Last edited Fri Dec 27, 2024, 12:29 AM - Edit history (5)

I don't think anyone has contracted it from drinking raw milk yet, but it was found in raw milk. But cats apparently have been infected from raw milk.


"One problem is that experts are still learning how bird flu is transmitted. “We understand much less about H5N1 transmission than we do about COVID,” Dr. Roberts says. But most people infected with bird flu get it from unprotected contact with infected birds, according to the CDC. The agency adds that infection also can happen when people inhale the virus in droplets or dust from the infected animals, or touch a contaminated surface.

The CDC has a list of recommended precautions, including:

Avoid sick or dead birds. Check with your state or local government about their policy for reporting wild birds and other animals that look sick or are dead. Avoid wild birds even if they don’t look sick, since they can have an infection without symptoms.
Don’t touch surfaces or materials that could be contaminated. That includes animal litter or feces, mucus, raw milk, or saliva.
Avoid poultry farms and bird markets. If you must visit those places, wear a well-fitting face mask and don’t touch the animals.
Use the following protective measures if you are unable to avoid contact with wild birds or sick or dead animals:
Wear gloves and, after removing them, wash your hands properly.
Wear an N95 respirator or a well-fitting mask.
Use eye protection, such as goggles.
It’s important to throw away your gloves and face mask after any exposure."

https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/h5n1-bird-flu-what-to-know#:~:text=One%20problem%20is%20that%20experts,eye%20protection%2C%20such%20as%20goggles.

http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/vet/docs/AHAN/AHAN_H5BirdFluConfirmed4CatsRecalledRawMilk_PresumptivePositiveCatRawDiet_12202024.pdf

http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/phcommon/public/media/mediapubhpdetail.cfm?prid=4918#:~:text=Public%20Health%20recently%20confirmed%20H5,part%20of%20an%20ongoing%20investigation.

* I just watched a video from a doc who says bird flus do not transmit easily from an infected person to other people via aerosol, hopefully he is right. It has been reported in people exposed to the infected birds/animals who have been infected so far. I think there were at least two strains in the past that did transmit more though and which were severe- A H5N1 was one, A H7N9 was the other.... but deaths were around 464 out of 948 reported cases from H5N1, with a 52% mortality rate from 2003-24. This current strain is A H5.. actually I think it is just a different strain of the same H5N1 that originated in China in 1996 or so.

The H1N1strain in 2009 which originated from pigs was much worse and spread between people easily. The most deadly flu H1N1 strain was the 1918 so called Spanish Flu which killed about 50 million worldwide with about 500 million cases worldwide. Both were very contagious and spread easily through aerosol. The 2009 H1N1 pandemic killed about 249 thousand world wide with 60 million cases maybe.

For covid which was highly contagious, transmitted primarily through aerosol, there were 7,010,681 deaths so far as of April 13, 2024, and 704,753,890 confirmed cases. I don't know how accurate the covid deaths and cases are since many were not properly recorded here due to what happened.

The mortality rate may be less because there may have been milder cases that weren't reported. The doctor in this video also said that vaccination for this year's seasonal flu could also help prevent a severe case of bird flu if you are unlucky enough to be infected. But cats were infected from raw milk with severe cases. You can't be infected from pasteurized milk or properly cooked eggs and meat etc.

Here is another source on person to person spread:

The spread of avian flu virus from one infected person to another is very rare. When it happens, it usually only spreads to a few people.

https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/infectious-disease/epi/influenza/maineflu/avian-flu.shtml#:~:text=The%20spread%20of%20avian%20flu,spreads%20to%20a%20few%20people.