Vet Association Issues Cat Avian Flu Advisory

Warning is reminiscent of 2010 Simpsons episode, "House Cat Flu."

The American Veterinary Medical Association just issued a scary-sounding advisory warning that “Cats are exquisitely sensitive to highly pathogenic avian influenza virus.” As the report explains:

Since December 2022, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) had confirmed more than 130 feline cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) type A H5N1 infection across the country, from California to New Jersey. They range from barn and feral cats to pet cats, including those kept strictly indoors, to big cats in zoos and the wild.

Around 130 cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza type A (H5N1) have been confirmed in domestic cats, which are “exquisitely sensitive” to the virus, says Dr. Meghan Davis, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Results from a recent review by the University of Maryland School of Public Health (UMDSPH) of more than 40 studies from over two decades suggest cats are potential reservoirs and vectors for avian influenza viruses, particularly highly pathogenic H5N1 strains, adding to growing calls for greater HPAI monitoring of domestic cats to mitigate pandemic risk.

The warning is reminiscent of the 2010 episode of The Simpsons, “House Cat Flu.”