Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/reel/DGV4gnitvGG/Over the past 2 years, the incidence of bird flu, H5N1, has surged in domestic cats.  This according to research veterinarians at the University of Maryland’s Schools of Public Health and Veterinary Medicine.   Cats can contract the virus by eating infected birds or ingesting dairy products from infected animals.   When they do, the case-fatality rate is 67%.Cases of transmission of previous bird flu strains from cats to humans has been documented.  The current strain could easily mutate to facilitate such transmission today.The UMaryland vets urge cat owners to keep their pets indoors and avoid feeding them raw meat or raw milk.  Signs that your cat may already be infected include breathing difficulties or unusual behavioral changes.https://sph.umd.edu/news/researcher-warns-pet-cats-risk-getting-bird-flu-and-possibly-infecting-people#H5N1 #birdflu #cats