Cats as H5N1 indicators in the community and response steps

Cats can serve as early warning indicators of the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) in a community, explains Deborah Thomson, DVM, founder and executive director of One Health Lessons, in this video. With this in mind, Thomson goes over what veterinary professionals should do in the event of a suspected case of H5N1, including testing feline patients that present with respiratory and/or neurological symptoms, placing them in isolation wards, and contacting local public health authorities for current protocols. Because guidance can continuously change when it comes to infectious diseases, Thomson also emphasizes the importance of staying updated on evolving protocols for managing cases of H5N1.

RELATED: A veterinarian’s role in bird flu client education

Below is the transcript, lightly edited for improved clarity.

Deborah Thomson, DVM: Hello. I'm Dr Deborah Thompson, and I am the founder and executive director of One Health Lessons. One Health Lessons is an educational nonprofit that teaches about One Health.

Cats are a really good measure of where bird flu is in the community because they could be serving as sentinels. They could be catching this virus through hunting outside and eating an infected bird, for instance, or they could be drinking raw milk or eating raw meat. So, if there's any possible exposure to those 3 risk factors and you see respiratory signs or neurologic signs, it's a sign to start to test for H5N1.

If you suspect that a cat or another patient has H5N1, then it is best to have them in the isolation ward, contact your local public health authority, and ask them what the protocol [is] for that moment. When it comes to bird flu, or any other emerging infectious disease, rules can change quite often, so just stay up to date and contact your local public health authority.