Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DGyBfPGt7Qf/Two indoor cats in Michigan have died from bird flu (H5N1), raising concerns that they may have contracted the virus from their dairy worker owners, according to a CDC report.The first case involved a 5-year-old cat that showed symptoms like lethargy and neurological issues before being euthanized. Testing confirmed it had the same strain of bird flu found in local dairy cattle. A second cat in the home also showed symptoms but recovered. The owner, a dairy worker, experienced vomiting and diarrhea before the cats became sick but declined testing.A second case involved a 6-month-old cat from a different household. It developed severe neurological symptoms and died within 24 hours. Its owner, another dairy worker, frequently handled unpasteurized milk without protective equipment and reported “splash exposures” to the face and clothing. Their cat often rolled in their contaminated clothing, while another cat in the home, which did not, remained healthy. The wor