A cat that died in Germany has tested positive for the H5N1 virus. The Federal Research Institute for Animal Health in Germany will conduct further tests to determine whether the H5N1 strain found in the cat poses a fatal risk to humans.
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| Cat infected with the H5N1 virus. In the image: A child playing with a cat in Thailand (Photo: VNN) |
The Federal Research Institute for Animal Health (Friedrich Loeffler Institute) reported that this cat was found on Rügen Island in the Baltic Sea, an area where H5N1 avian influenza virus was detected earlier this month.
According to Thomas Mettenleiter, the director of the Friedrich Loeffler Institute, cats can become infected with avian influenza by eating sick birds. The first recorded instance of cats infected with avian influenza was in Asia in 2004.
Recently, several large cats in zoos across Asia have died after consuming infected birds.
On December 28, the Bavarian Agency for Environmental Protection, Health, and Consumer Affairs in southern Germany reported that two wild birds in the region tested positive for the H5N1 virus. Bavaria is the fifth state among the 16 states in Germany to be affected by avian influenza.
Minh Thương
