CDC offers recommendations after farmworkers’ indoor cats contract bird flu

Washington — Farmworkers who are owners of indoor cats should remove their work clothes and footwear and rinse off any animal byproduct before entering their home to prevent spreading bird flu to the animals, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends.

In May, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Mid-Michigan District Health Department investigated separate cases in which in two indoor cats were infected with bird flu. Neither animal had a known direct exposure.

Public health officials interviewed the cats’ owners and household members – all of whom were offered testing for influenza A virus. They found that the owners were potentially exposed at work to infected cattle or contaminated products or environments, and that neither worker used the recommended personal protective equipment prior to the cats becoming infected. Both cats had respiratory and neurological issues.

The researchers said that the issues could have come from animal byproducts, such as milk and feces, on the clothing and footwear of the farmworkers. Other members of the household tested negative for bird flu.

Despite the rarity of bird flu infections in indoor cats, the researchers suggested the animals could pose a risk for human infections.

CDC recommends that veterinarians in states with confirmed virus cases in livestock ask for the occupational information of household members, wear PPE and test for influenza A when evaluating indoor cats with respiratory or neurological issues.

“Given the widespread outbreak in animals, including poultry and wild birds, throughout the United States, anyone who has occupational or recreational exposure should wear the recommended PPE when interacting with any potentially infected animals,” the agency says.

The study was published in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.