Californian cat owner gives his cats bird flu when feeding them raw cows' milk

Bird Flu illustrated by DALLE (AI bot).

A California man inadvertently killed his two cats by indirectly giving them bird flu as the virus was in their raw milk which he believed would boost their immune systems. He wanted to improve their health but achieved the exact opposite; it is very sadly reported. It's been traumatic for Joseph Journell, 56, of San Bernardino.

He lost his 14-year-old tabby cat Alexander and a four year old black-and-white cat in late November. A third cat was hospitalised for a week and tests showed that he was infected with the H5N1 bird flu virus.

The unpasteurised milk came from lots recalled from Raw Farm of Fresno. This business's dairy products were pulled from California's store shelves in December after health officials found the virus in their milk. I did some research on the possibility of contracting bird flu from raw milk and my results are set out below. Apparently is rarely happens and therefore this man and his cats were unlucky.

He said that he has been drinking Raw Farm milk himself for several months because he was told that it was good for his immune system and that it had healing properties. He thought he may be able to improve the health of his cat Alexander who had been losing weight. He said that he was "trying to make him healthier and make him live longer".

He's seeking compensation in the sum of $12,000 from Raw Farm. It may be difficult to prove that because he'll have to prove what is called "causation". He'll have to prove that drinking the milk caused the infection. There will need to be a direct connection between the two and it is possible that the cats got bird flu from some other source. That I suspect will be the defence. The amount of the damages is high as moggie cats have sadly low value when the emotional loss is excluded.

The FDA say that cats should not be fed any products from affected farms if those products have not been thoroughly cooked or pasteurised to kill the virus.

I think that it unusual for a cat owner to give their cats unpasteurised, raw milk on the basis that most people give their cats tap water or commercially prepared cat milk. There is one last point to make: a sizeable percentage of domestic cats, perhaps a majority, are lactose intolerant and therefore drinking cow's milk either raw or pasteurised may well cause bloating and digestive track upset.

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Question: Is there an argument that drinking raw milk helps boost one's immunity to disease?

Yes, there are arguments made by proponents of raw milk that it can boost immunity to disease. These arguments are largely based on the idea that raw milk contains active enzymes, beneficial bacteria, and natural immunoglobulins that are thought to support gut health and strengthen the immune system. Here's a breakdown of their claims:

1. Probiotic Content

• Raw milk is unpasteurized, meaning it retains live bacteria, including probiotics like Lactobacillus. These are believed to improve gut health, which is closely linked to immune function.

2. Enzymes and Nutrients

• Advocates argue that pasteurization destroys enzymes such as lactase and phosphatase, which aid in digestion and nutrient absorption, possibly impacting the body's ability to fight disease.

3. Immunoglobulins

• Raw milk contains immunoglobulins (antibodies), which may help combat infections and diseases by supporting the immune system.

4. Reduction in Allergies and Asthma

• Some studies, like those involving the "farm effect," suggest that children who consume raw milk or live on farms have lower rates of allergies and asthma. This is attributed to early exposure to microbes that may help "train" the immune system.

5. Bioavailability of Nutrients

• Advocates argue that pasteurization reduces the bioavailability of certain vitamins and minerals, which could affect overall health and immunity.

The Counterarguments

Critics, including public health authorities like the CDC and FDA, counter these claims with concerns about the safety of raw milk. Pathogens like Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria can be present in unpasteurized milk and pose significant health risks, particularly to vulnerable populations like children, pregnant women, and immunocompromised individuals.

Scientific Evidence

The scientific evidence supporting raw milk's immunity-boosting effects is limited and mixed:

• While some observational studies suggest potential benefits, many do not establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship.
• Rigorous controlled studies are scarce, and most health organizations emphasize the risks of foodborne illness over any potential benefits.

Bottom Line

While raw milk may contain certain bioactive components potentially beneficial for immunity, the associated risks of consuming unpasteurized products often outweigh these benefits for most individuals. It's essential to weigh these factors carefully and consult with a healthcare provider before incorporating raw milk into a diet.

Question: There is also the possibility of contracting bird flu from raw milk in the current climate with bird flu fairly prevalent in some districts. Correct?

The possibility of contracting bird flu (avian influenza) from raw milk is extremely low but not entirely impossible under specific circumstances, particularly if the milk is contaminated during production or handling. However, it is important to distinguish the specific risks and routes of transmission. Here's an analysis:

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Bird Flu and Raw Milk: The Risk

1. Transmission Mechanism of Bird Flu:

   • Bird flu viruses, such as H5N1 or H5N8, primarily spread through direct contact with infected birds, their secretions, or contaminated surfaces.
   • Consumption of raw milk or milk products is not a common route for bird flu transmission.

2. Contamination Risk:

   • If raw milk is sourced from a farm where poultry and dairy animals are in close proximity, contamination could theoretically occur through shared water supplies, feed, or equipment exposed to bird droppings carrying the virus.
   • Secondary contamination could occur during handling or processing if hygiene standards are poor.

3. Vulnerability of the Virus:

   • Influenza viruses are sensitive to heat, so cooking or pasteurizing milk would eliminate any virus particles.
   • In raw milk, the virus could survive for a limited period under specific conditions but is unlikely to thrive or multiply.

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Broader Concerns with Raw Milk:

While bird flu might be a less likely risk from raw milk consumption, other pathogens (e.g., Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria) remain significant concerns. These pathogens are much more commonly associated with raw milk consumption and can lead to severe illness.

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Precautions for Raw Milk Consumers:

1. Source Reliability:

   • Ensure that the raw milk comes from a farm with strict biosecurity measures to prevent cross-contamination from poultry or other potential sources of pathogens.
   • Verify that the animals are healthy and tested regularly for infectious diseases.

2. Local Bird Flu Outbreaks:

   • If bird flu is prevalent in your district, extra caution should be taken, even if the risk through milk is low.
   • Avoid consuming raw milk from areas with known outbreaks.

3. Consider Pasteurization:

   • Pasteurization effectively eliminates potential pathogens in milk, including viruses and bacteria, making it a safer option.

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Conclusion:

The likelihood of contracting bird flu from raw milk is low but could exist if there is environmental contamination in areas with active outbreaks. This risk underscores the broader public health concern of consuming raw milk, which carries inherent dangers of other, more common foodborne illnesses. As always, consulting local health guidelines and choosing pasteurized dairy products can mitigate these risks significantly.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also, sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. And, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable. Finally, (!) I often express an OPINION on the news. Please share yours in a comment.

Since Covid-19 we are fearful of zoonoses such as bird flu

A zoonosis (plural: zoonoses) is a zoonotic disease which is one which can be transferred from animal to human and vice versa. It crosses the human-animal barrier if you like. Most diseases are confined to the particular species but since Covid-19 we have become very sensitive towards zoonotic diseases because of the devastation they can cause. Covid-19, to remind ourselves, started off in an animal. It was and still is an animal disease but it affects us as we are all too painfully aware.

Bird flu is an zoonosis by Michael Broad

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And, today, there's a bit of a scare about bird flu. It is also a zoonotic disease transmissible from birds to people via, potentially, domestic cats. This is why there are reports of six cats testing positive for bird flu in the American state of Colorado so far in 2024.

Bird flu (avian influenza) has been detected in cattle and chickens across Colorado and has now been found in six domestic cats according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and environment.

I suppose, the fear now is that these domestic cats can give the disease to their human caregivers. And this then smacks of the huge problems the world had with Covid-19. We don't want to repeat that do we?

For example, USA Today has a story about it. They ask whether your cat is at risk. I think the better question is whether we are at risk? Apparently some of the cats that have died of bird flu in Colorado had no direct exposure to outbreaks on dairy farms.

At present, the authorities have not determined how these cats caught the disease. But it should be directly related to dairy farm exposures according to a spokesperson for the Colorado Department Of Public Health and Environment.

Notes about bird flu

A couple of the cats were full-time indoor cats. That makes one scratch one's head as to how they got the disease. It would seem to me that these two cats died of the disease because the virus was tracked into the home by humans or by another companion animal, possibly a dog. And that dog visited a farm as did the human. I am speculating but the bringing into the home of diseases, pathogens or parasites is the way full-time indoor cats contract these diseases and illnesses.

For example, you could have a full-time indoor cat living in a nice home and the cat becomes infested with fleas. How can that happen? It happens because the human brings fleas into the home or their dog does. That's why you have to treat full-time indoor cats with flea treatments sometimes. It depends how the caregiver manages the home. I have never given my cat flea treatments of any kind. I don't need to and he is an outdoor/indoor cat. It's about management.

To return to avian flu, and the six cats killed by it in Colorado, some experts believe that the deaths could be linked to mice in and around homes that carry bird flu. Cats almost invariably prey upon mice and it is possible that their owners are unaware of this. Another possible source could be raw food that people feed their pets.

This is an interesting topic. There's quite a trend in feeding cat raw foods because it is, arguably, inherently healthier for a cat to eat raw meat combined with appropriate supplements to ensure that the diet is balanced because many people are dissatisfied with the artificiality of commercial pet food. It can cause illnesses in cats.

But veterinarians consistently argue that it is dangerous to feed a cat raw meats partly because of cross contamination in terms of storage but also because raw meat can carry pathogens and in this case arguably avian flu.

One expert believes that the six cats that have died of avian flu are the tip of the iceberg. They said that "There are often lots of cases that don't get recognised."

I totally agree that. A lot of cats are probably dying of avian flu because they been misdiagnosed with perhaps suffering from herpes virus which is the cat cold. Although people should not be overly concerned, they should be vigilant. The risk of bird flu to the public health is low say Colorado state and federal officials.

A bird flu infection can be contracted from exposure to saliva, mucus or faeces from infected birds. Or as mentioned from a cat eating a mouse infected with the disease. The cat might then give the disease to a caregiver via faeces? 

Or by humans eating raw foods infected with the disease (but see below) although I have not seen a report about that means of transmission in the news media. People with close or prolonged unprotected contact with infected birds or places where there are sick birds or their mucus, saliva or faeces will be at greater risk of contracting a bird flu virus infection.

P.S. There is no current evidence that avian influenza can be transmitted to humans through the consumption of contaminated poultry products. Safe handling of raw meat and other raw food ingredients, thorough cooking and good kitchen hygiene can prevent or reduce the risks posed by contaminated food.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.

Bird flu blinds barn cats and kills half in days on Texas farm

This is a cross post because it is an important story. It is also a tragic story as half of the 24 barn cats on this Texas farm died quickly of bird flu which they contracted, it is believed, from drinking the unpasteurised milk from the cows with which they lived. 

Barn cats drink unpasteurised milk in a milking barn and caught bird flu which killed them. This is a fictional image please note based on the image on the internet. 

Their deaths were unpleasant and painful. The story was announced by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which revealed that at least 24 cats on this Texas farm experienced severe health symptoms such as depression, body stiffness, ataxia (loss of coordination), blindness, circling and extreme upper respiratory infection with excessive mucus from their eyes and noses.

Autopsies were carried out on the cats some of whom had died in as little as two days after they fell ill. The virus had spread to their entire body, lungs, brains, heart and eyes.

It also believed the cats contracted the disease from infected cattle by being in close contact with them. Clearly, the disease is a zoonosis (zoonotic disease) because it is transferable from one species of animal to another.

The disease can be transmitted in saliva, droppings and other body fluids and as mentioned in consuming raw milk (colostrum) from the cows.

CDC obtained the bodies of two of the cats as well as samples of milk from the cows. They also examined tissue samples from six of the cows. Three of the cows were euthanized and three had died of the virus.

All the animals were revealed to have been infected with H5N1 bird flu, specifically the one designated 2.3.4.4b, a highly pathogenic variety that killed a dolphin in Florida recently.

The cats had microscopic lesions in their brains, heart and lungs. They examined photographs of the barn where they lived and saw that they drank milk from a designated bowl as well as directly from cows.

It appears that the symptoms were first observed in the cats and so CDC tested the cows in which they found symptoms including tiny lesions in their memory glands.

The situation with avian flu designated A(H5N1) has become serious in America. It first emerged in 1996 but since 2020 the number of outbreaks has increased rapidly with tens of millions of poultry killed and wild birds and land and marine animals also infected.

Being a zoonosis, the disease can be transferred to people and earlier in the month a dairy farm worker in Texas became the second American to become infected with the virus. The farmworker contracted a mild infection with just one symptom which was an inflammation of the eye and recovered well. They were placed into isolation.

It is believed that they didn't transfer the disease to others and were being treated with the drug Tamiflu. This occurred in Texas as well and is believed to be the first case of a human infected by avian influenza from a cow.

The virus is mutating making it easier to jump posts as happened with the Covid-19 virus.

Protections

Cats can be protected from A(H5N1) if they are given a vaccination. However, it’s important to note that cats can still shed some of the virus, albeit in low numbers. If a cat is exhibiting symptoms, it should be put into isolation and kept indoors. Then, it should be taken to a vet for testing to determine the presence of H5N1. Additionally, here are some other preventive measures for cat owners:

1. Limit Contact with Possible Vectors: To prevent the spread of H5N1 among cats, limit their contact with other possible vectors such as birds and cattle. Cats should also avoid contact with fomites, such as milking equipment.

2. Avoid Unpasteurized Milk: Do not allow cats to drink unpasteurized milk, as this could be a potential source of infection.

3. Minimize Unnecessary Contact: If highly pathogenic influenza viruses are found or suspected in a cat, minimize unnecessary contact. Use gloves, a mask, and goggles for protection when handling the cat.

Remember that while the risk of cat-to-human transmission of influenza is low, taking precautions is essential to protect both cats and humans. If you suspect your cat may have been exposed to A(H5N1), consult with a veterinarian promptly.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

European Union tells cat owners to keep their cats indoors full-time (in certain areas)

The headline may surprise you. In Europe, the default cat ownership M.O. is to allow cats and indoor/outdoor life. Things are changing but that is the current method. However, the worst-ever outbreak of bird flu has hit the European continent which led to the European Food Safety Authority deciding to make the announcement. Twenty-four cats in Poland tested positive for the virus and the authority fears that avian influenza could be evolving to spread among mammals.

Notes about bird flu, domestic cats and people.

Cats on a farm as exposed to bird flu. Image: MikeB

As you probably know, bird flu is zoonotic which means that it can be transmitted between different animal species. Even people can get it. And if cats can get it from birds, then theoretically at least cats can give it to people. The disease has the potential for being quite serious. I suppose there is even a technical possibility that it could create another pandemic.

Since late 2021, bird flu has killed millions of birds in Europe and in other countries. Sixty-seven countries on five continents reported (H5N1) outbreaks. More than 131 million poultry have either died of bird flu or been killed by farmers to prevent the spread of bird flu.

And although we know that 24 cats tested positive for bird flu as mentioned, outbreaks in other areas have led to 26 different species contracting the disease including farmed mink in Spain. This is highly concerning for the authorities.

The European Food Safety Authority wants there to be less exposure of the disease to domestic cats and dogs and to achieve that objective they said: "Possible measures are keeping dogs on a leash, and confining cats indoors in areas where extensive circulation of HPAI [highly pathogenic avian influenza] viruses in wild birds has been confirmed."

Around 70 domestic cats might have died of bird flu in Poland since June 23. The World Health Organisation said that "some mammals may act as mixing vessels for influenza viruses, leading to the emergence of new viruses that could be harmful to animals and humans."

They added that, "Avian influenza viruses normally spread among birds, but the increasing number of H5N1 avian influenza detections among mammals-which are biologically closer to humans than birds are-raises concern that the virus might adapt to infect humans more easily."

Cats can get bird flu by eating raw chicken necks and experts recommend feeding raw chicken necks to domestic cats

You may have heard about the bird flu outbreak among domestic cats in Poland. It is reported that at least 24 sick or dead cats tested positive for H5N1 in Poland according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. There are uncertainties about how the cats contracted the disease but 13 were found to have been fed raw poultry meat.

Bird flu. Image: MikeB

My mind then jumped to advice that you can read on the Internet from various sources including veterinary websites about the benefit of feeding domestic cats with the raw neck of poultry because it is very good for the teeth and it is cartilaginous which minimises the harm that they might experience when biting into bones.

You can also feed domestic cats bird wings. Once again, the idea is to improve gum health because, to be frank, the large pelleted dry cat food is not that great at cleaning teeth and preventing the buildup of calculus along the gum line.

Dr. Bruce Fogle DVM and author recommends feeding raw chicken to cats so that they can bite on bone. There is a risk but he argues that the benefit outweighs the risk.

At present, with a bird flu epidemic in Poland and with bird flu present in other countries including the UK, I would suggest that people should not feed their cat companions with chicken neck because the risk/reward balance has been shifted by the presence of bird flu.

"H5N8 and H5N1 bird flu have been found in some poultry, other captive birds and wild birds in the UK." - NHS

The disease is zoonotic and therefore it can be transmitted from birds to cats as we can see from the Polish problem. In Poland, incidentally, one cat owner said that she feed her cat raw chicken purchased from a large supermarket chain. Within days of eating the raw chicken her cat became drowsy. A veterinarian suspected a cold but within days her cat began to lose balance and she fell off a chair.

Her hind legs were paralysed and she stopped eating completely. Antibiotics and steroids were unable to help and the cat died seven days after eating the raw meat.