The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Monday that Poland has become the first country to report a significant number of cats infected with bird flu across a wide geographical area. However, the WHO emphasized that the risk of human infection remains low.
Polish health authorities had alerted the WHO about an unusual increase in cat deaths throughout the country last month. Subsequent testing revealed that 29 out of 46 cats, along with one captive caracal, had tested positive for the H5N1 strain of bird flu.
Among the infected animals, 14 were euthanized, and another 11 succumbed to the virus. The most recent death occurred on June 30.
In a statement, the WHO acknowledged that the source of the cats’ exposure to the virus remains unknown, and investigations are currently underway to determine the cause.
Some of the infected cats exhibited severe symptoms such as respiratory difficulties, bloody diarrhea, and neurological signs, leading to rapid deterioration and death in certain cases.
Since late 2021, Europe has experienced its most severe outbreak of bird flu to date, with North and South America also facing significant outbreaks. This has resulted in the culling of tens of millions of poultry worldwide, many of which were infected with the H5N1 strain that emerged in 1996.
Of concern is the recent increase in infections among mammals. The WHO highlighted that sporadic cases of H5N1 infection in cats have been reported in the past, but this is the first instance of a high number of infected cats across a large geographical area within a single country.
As of July 12, no individuals who had contact with infected cats had reported any symptoms. The surveillance period for all contacts has been completed, according to the WHO.
The organization stressed that the risk of human infection following exposure to infected cats is assessed as low for the general population in Poland. However, for individuals such as cat owners and veterinarians who may have regular contact with H5N1-infected cats without using personal protective equipment, the risk is considered low to moderate.
While bird flu infections in humans are rare, they can lead to severe disease with a high mortality rate. Human cases of H5N1 infection typically occur through direct or indirect exposure to infected live or dead poultry or contaminated environments.
Since 2020, the WHO has received 12 reports of human H5N1 cases worldwide, with four classified as severe and eight as mild or asymptomatic.
