Cats infected by the dairy virus

[RonO]

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bird-flu-is-infecting-pet-cats-heres-what-you-need-to-know/

Household pet cats not on dairy farms have been infected by the dairy
virus in multiple states, but 2 cases in Colorado were indoor cats. The
possibility is that they may have been infected by humans. It could be
an indication that human infections are more widespread than they
currently have identified. Colorado has the most human cases detected
so far, and the Colorado virus is most closely related in sequence to
the one isolated from an infected Michigan dairy worker. My guess is
that humans took the dairy virus to Colorado because they were not
reported to have gotten cattle from a known infected state, and the
virus is most closely related to the one that infected a Michigan dairy
worker. No one is contact tracing, but an infected dairy worker or
close contact of a dairy worker from Michigan is likely responsible for
the Colorado infections. How else did the Michigan strain get to
Colorado and infect dairy herds there?

Ron Okimoto

[RonO]

Post by RonO
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bird-flu-is-infecting-pet-
cats-heres-what-you-need-to-know/
Household pet cats not on dairy farms have been infected by the dairy
virus in multiple states, but 2 cases in Colorado were indoor cats.  The
possibility is that they may have been infected by humans.  It could be
an indication that human infections are more widespread than they
currently have identified.  Colorado has the most human cases detected
so far, and the Colorado virus is most closely related in sequence to
the one isolated from an infected Michigan dairy worker.  My guess is
that humans took the dairy virus to Colorado because they were not
reported to have gotten cattle from a known infected state, and the
virus is most closely related to the one that infected a Michigan dairy
worker.  No one is contact tracing, but an infected dairy worker or
close contact of a dairy worker from Michigan is likely responsible for
the Colorado infections.  How else did the Michigan strain get to
Colorado and infect dairy herds there?
Ron Okimoto

The cat infections were not discussed in the last CDC weekly update
(8/15/2024), and the CDC missed their weekly update for this week, so
there is no information on what the CDC is doing with the additional
evidence of human transmission of the virus.

I would also note that multiple Florida poultry have recently been found
to have H5N1 and the USDA and CDC still refuse to test Florida dairy
herds for the virus. It has been known since the first cases in Texas
that poultry flocks get infected by infected dairy herds, likely via
infected dairy workers. It has been known since the FDA data in May
that Florida was producing dairy virus positive milk samples, but the
dairy industry wants to remain willfully ignorant and in denial. There
are a lot more states with positive herds that are not admitting to
having them. None of the dairy workers in Florida and these other
states that refuse to test their herds are being protected from being
infected.

Ron Okimoto