Dozens of cats in Poland had fowl flu however the danger to individuals is low, the UN well being company says

The World Well being Group mentioned greater than two dozen cats have been contaminated with fowl flu throughout Poland, however no individuals appeared to have been sickened.

In a assertion on Monday, the U.N. well being company mentioned it was the primary time so many cats had been reported to have fowl flu over such a large geographical space in a single nation, amid an unprecedented world outbreak of the newest model of the H5N1 model of the illness.

WHO mentioned that late final month, Polish authorities knowledgeable company officers of the weird deaths of greater than 45 cats in 13 geographical areas of the nation. Testing final week discovered that 29 had H5N1.

As of June, the latest variant of H5N1 has been reported in birds and different animal species in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas. Since 2020, WHO mentioned a dozen human circumstances have been reported.

Scientists fear that rising circumstances of H5N1, significantly in animals which have frequent contact with people, would possibly result in a mutated model of the illness that would unfold simply between individuals, triggering one other pandemic.

Earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic, many consultants had suspected that the following world outbreak could be sparked by H5N1. However whereas fowl flu has killed a whole bunch of tens of millions of birds globally, it has sickened fewer than 900 individuals since 2003 and has not been in a position to unfold simply amongst people.

WHO mentioned it was unclear how the home cats in Poland turned contaminated with fowl flu and mentioned officers have been nonetheless investigating doable sources of publicity, together with contact with wild birds which can be identified to hold H5N1. The company mentioned the chance of individuals in Poland being contaminated with fowl flu was “low” and “low to reasonable” for individuals uncovered to cats, together with cat house owners and veterinarians.

Final week, WHO and companions warned that the growing numbers of mammals contaminated with H5N1 have been uncommon. Specialists have beforehand cautioned that pigs, that are prone to flu viruses from each people and birds, would possibly act as a “mixing vessel,” resulting in the emergence of mutated viruses that may very well be deadly to individuals.

Since final 12 months, authorities in 10 nations have reported fowl flu outbreaks in mammals, together with farmed mink in Spain, seals within the U.S., and sea lions in Peru and Chile.

© 2023 The Related Press. All rights reserved. This materials is probably not revealed, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed with out permission.