The death of a domestic cat due to bird flu has created panic in the administration, now people are afraid that the avian influenza virus may also make humans its victims.

Bird Flu in Domestic Cats:  The first cases of avian influenza virus (H5N1) in domestic cats in India have been reported from Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh, raising concerns about the bird flu pathogen mutating and infecting humans. In such a situation, there is a fear that humans may also fall prey to it.

The virus has raised concerns. According to a

TOI report, a scientist said, "H5N1 is classically an avian virus, but certain mutations allow it to replicate in mammalian hosts. This adaptation raises concerns because influenza viruses have the potential to trigger pandemics, just like previous outbreaks such as COVID-19." 

Scientists from ICAR-NIHSAD and the central government’s animal husbandry department documented cases this January in Chhindwara, which borders Nagpur, where several big cats died of bird flu last December.

The scientific team described the virus as belonging to the 2.3.2.1a lineage, a variant of H5N1 that has caused outbreaks in poultry across India. "These cases are the first documented instances of this specific strain infecting domestic cats in India," the study said.

How much risk is there to humans?

It found that all infected cats showed symptoms such as high fever, loss of appetite and lethargy before succumbing to the disease within one to three days of sample collection. The study identified 27 mutations in the virus found in cats. The scientists called for increased surveillance in mammals, including domestic poultry, wild birds and pets, and humans, because of the virus's ability to jump between species.

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