With bird flu cases on the rise, veterinarians urge pet owners to take precautions
Local veterinarians are warning pet owners to take extra precautions as a particularly contagious strain of bird flu spreads across the country.
Cats in particular are at risk of contracting the virus, according to veterinarians at Mount Laurel Animal Hospital in New Jersey.
"The thing with the cat population is those that have been infected are pretty severely ill," Dr. Erika Sweigard said. "It's pretty serious [for] those cats that acquire it."
While Dr. Sweigard said there are no known cases of cats contracting the virus in the Philadelphia region, the Pennsylvania Game Commission said it found bird flu in dead snow geese in Northampton and Lehigh Counties.
Earlier this month, Delaware reported its first case of bird flu on a commercial poultry farm, following dozens of presumed positive cases in wild birds.
"If your cat's indoors or not around farms, and you're not around farms, and you're not feeding a raw diet or any raw milk products, your risk to your cat and yourself is very low," Dr. Sweigard said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it's rare for humans to contract bird flu as they would have to be in direct contact with an infected animal.
However, the virus can attach and travel on people's clothes, which is one way cats and dairy cattle could contract the virus.
Dr. Lucy Rose said the virus' presence in raw milk products is particularly concerning.
"It can be transmitted to dairy cattle from farm workers and potentially through raw and unpasteurized milk to the consumer and then potentially undercooked food as well," Dr. Rose said.
Mount Laurel Animal Hospital said bird flu cases have also contributed to higher egg prices.