First case of Avian Influenza virus ( H5N1 ) in domestic cats in India reported from Chhindwara district in Madhya Pradesh. It has raises concern in Authorities about the bird flu pathogen mutating and infecting humans.
Avian influenza A(H5N1) is a subtype of influenza virus that infects birds and mammals, including humans in rare instances. The goose/Guangdong-lineage of H5N1 avian influenza viruses first emerged in 1996 and have been causing outbreaks in birds since then.
Scientists from ICAR-NIHSAD and Union govt’s animal husbandry department have documented the cases this Jan in Chhindwara, which borders Nagpur where several big cats died of bird flu in Dec last year.
In (H5N1) its found that cats exhibited symptoms such as high fever, loss of appetite, and lethargy before succumbling to the illness within one or three days after sample collection.
H5N1 is new for humans and human body not have immunity against it. If this virus goes through human to human then it will become big concern for authorities