The H5N1 bird flu has made its way to San Bernardino County. The county’s first confirmed case turned up not in birds or in humans but in a domestic cat. It is believed that two other cats associated with the known infected cat were also infected. They died.
The humans living with the cats have not tested positive for H5N1 bird flu. At present, there are no reported cases of humans in the county have contracted bird flu.
Bird flu, the common term for avian influenza, is an infection from a type of influenza virus which usually spreads easily in birds and other animals.
It was first detected in geese in Southern China in 1996. There have been on and off outbreaks of the disease in wild and farmed birds around the globe. In 2021 the virus was found in North America, which created alarm among epidemiologists.
Initially and currently, in terms of human pathology, H5N1 is what scientists consider a dead-end infection, in that it does not typically transmit from person to person. Human infections of H5N1 are relatively rare and in most cases and mild, although it has proven deadly in a smattering of cases involving people. Previous forms of avian flu prior toH5N1 had an overall death rate in humans that was high, with historically about half of all people with known infection having died.
Avian influenza often kills birds that catch it.
People can get avian influenza if they come in contact with an infected animal’s body fluid, such as saliva, milk, respiratory droplets or feces and perhaps urine. It can be breathed in from small dust particles in animal habitats or gain entrance to a person’s body through the eyes, nose or mouth if the body fluids have been touched.
The appearance of the condition in North America in 2021 was alarming because its spread had broadened from birds to a variety of mammals. Currently, it has manifested in 48 species. In 2023, it had migrated to South America, where it resulted in a die-off of 23,000 sea lions.
There is concern that over time the virus, which at present does not have what it takes to spread from human to human, could evolve to become far more communicable among humans.
According to the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health, the cat found harboring the virus was one of three felines that drank recalled raw milk from Raw Farm LLC. While two of the cats expired, the third was provided with acute medical care and has recovered.
There have been other cases of H5N1 bird flu in California. The virus can migrate from birds to cows.
Health officials say that people should avoid raw milk to substantially reduce the danger of catching bird flu.
San Bernardino County public health officials have reported that “markers of H5 avian influenza have been detected in wastewater” in both Ontario and San Bernardino. Wastewater at sewer treatment plants is now being closely monitored to determine if there is a wider outbreak.
Symptoms of avian influenza include: difficulty breathing, fever, confusion or altered mental state, fatigue and/or difficulty awakening, headache and a stiff neck.
Serious signs of infection include a severe headache, inability to wake up or a fever over 103 degrees Fahrenheit.