Bird flu kills dozens of cats in Poland. What’s happening?
Global News
The cat infections in Poland is the first report of a high numbers of infected cats over a wide geographical area within a country, the WHO said.
Bird flu has killed dozens of cats in Poland, the World Health Organization (WHO) says — the first report of a high number of infected cats over a wide area within a country.
The WHO said Monday it was notified by Polish authorities on June 27 of “unusual deaths in cats across the country.” The international health body began investigating and as of July 11, it said 29 of 47 samples were found to be positive for bird flu, also known as avian flu.
Since the end of 2021, an unprecedented number of bird flu outbreaks among poultry and wild birds has been reported worldwide. Alongside wild bird and domestic poultry infections, there have been increased detections in non-avian species, the WHO says, including in wild animals, marine mammals and occasionally in farmed or captive species.
The source of the exposure to the cats in Poland is unknown, the WHO says. However, there are several possibilities for the source of infection, among which the cats could have had direct or indirect contact with infected birds or their environments, eaten infected birds, or eaten food contaminated with the virus, the health body suggests.
Of the 25 cats for which the information is available, two were outdoor cats, 18 were indoor with access to a balcony, terrace, or backyard, and five were indoor cats with no access to the outside environment. Seven cats are reported to have had the opportunity for contact with wild birds.
Fourteen cats have been euthanized, and a further 11 died, with the last death reported on 30 June. Post-mortem exams on a small number of cats suggest pneumonia.
Positive samples were reported from 13 geographical areas within Poland. Sporadic infection of cats with bird flu has previously been reported, but this is the first report of a high number of infected cats over a wide geographical area within a country, the WHO said.
Some cats developed severe symptoms including difficulty in breathing, bloody diarrhea and neurological signs, with rapid deterioration and death in some cases.
Nearly 2,200 layoff notices went to workers in Washington and another 220 in South Carolina, the two states where Boeing builds commercial airliners.
The deadly haze covered monuments and high-rise buildings in the capital of New Delhi, with visibility so low that airlines warned of delays.
The death is being investigated by federal authorities but "the preliminary cause" has been ruled an accident.
The incident took place more than a month ago, on October 13, but it wasn't reported until the British tabloids got wind of the story.
Health officials said Saturday they have confirmed the first U.S. case of a new form of mpox that was first seen in eastern Congo.
Washington is easing limits on what Ukraine can strike with U.S.-made weaponry, U.S. officials told The Associated Press on Sunday.
Ukraine plans to conduct its first long-range attacks in the coming days, sources said, without revealing details due to operational security concerns.
Concerns storm surges could raise water levels between one and three feet above ground level as Tropical Storm Sara makes landfall in Belize.
Air defenses could be heard engaging drones over Kyiv in the night, and a series of powerful blasts rang out across the city as the missile attack was under way in the morning.
John Kirton, head of the G20 Research Group, says the forum is the main tool countries have to prepare for the second Donald Trump presidency.
Israeli airstrikes on the village of Khreibeh in the Baalbek District of eastern Lebanon killed six people on Saturday, including three children the Lebanese health ministry said.