Wildlife Death Toll Rises After Twenty Wild Cats Killed by Bird Flu at Animal Sanctuary in Washington State

We not too long ago reported on the rising cases of bird flu which have run rampant throughout the US over this 12 months, ensuing within the deaths of dozens of endangered wildlife animals at zoos throughout the nation; with Washington state and California witnessing an astonishing variety of circumstances of the extremely pathogenic avian hen influenza virus (HPAIV), and the H5N1 variant.

On Friday, December twentieth, officers from the Wild Felid Advocacy Heart cat sanctuary in Shelton, Washington, 80 miles southwest of Seattle, posted an urgent announcement on their Fb web page, alerting their followers that their sanctuary skilled an “HPAI Outbreak,” instantly itemizing the breeds of the 20 wildcats and their names, who had succumbed to the viral an infection.

“This tragedy has deeply affected our staff, and we’re all grieving the lack of these unbelievable animals,” the Wild Felid Advocacy Heart of Washington wrote in a publish on Fb.

Twenty Wildcats Succumb to Avian Flu Virus; Animal Sanctuary Below Quarantine and Closed to the Public

A complete of 20 wildcats died between late November and mid-December, the cat sanctuary’s director, Mark Mathews acknowledged. One Amur Bengal Tiger, one African Caracal, one Bengal Cat, one Geoffroy Cat, one Eurasian Lynx, two Canada Lynx, 4 Bobcats, 4 Cougars, and 5 African Servals, misplaced their lives to the extremely pathogenic avian flu virus.

“Tabbi, she was my favourite tiger,” Mathews advised KOMO. “Earlier than Thanksgiving, we had 37 cats. At the moment, now we have 17 cats, (together with) 4 recovering,” he stated. “It’s been one massive nightmare. I by no means thought one thing like this could occur to us. Possibly solely in a facility that had cats close to one another, and ours are unfold out over 5 acres.”

It’s uncertain how the wildcats have been contaminated with the lethal virus, however hen droppings and contaminated uncooked milk have been the 2 major culprits inflicting the deaths of animals throughout the nation, together with the deaths of home cats after ingesting contaminated milk, and even consuming contaminated pet food that pet homeowners consider is protected for his or her furry family members.

“Cats are notably weak to this virus, which might trigger refined preliminary signs however progress quickly, usually leading to demise inside 24 hours resulting from pneumonia-like situations,” based on the Meals and Drug Administration in a press release.

Based on the American Veterinary Medical Affiliation, low power, swelling of physique components, lack of coordination, and diarrhea in pet birds, are signs of the virus, whereas cats and canine might expertise a fever, lethargy, and low urge for food, amongst a number of different signs, which might usually end in demise.

CDC Continues To State Transmission of the Extremely Pathogenic Avian Flu Virus to People Is Not a Menace

Whereas the CDC continues to state that the transmission of the avian flu virus from birds and animals to people shouldn’t be a menace, there have been circumstances the place people have contracted the extremely pathogenic virus.

Based on the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, a complete of 61 human circumstances of hen flu have been reported in the US since April this 12 months, and those that have contracted the virus didn’t contract it from human-to-human contact and have solely skilled gentle signs.

Nevertheless, in 2016, reviews indicated {that a} cat contaminated a human with the debilitating virus, and not too long ago this 12 months, a cow additionally transmitted the extremely pathogenic avian flu virus to a human.

“We have by no means had something prefer it; they (wildcats) often die principally of previous age,” Mathews stated. “Not one thing like this, it is a fairly depraved virus.”

Because of the lethal outbreak, the Wild Felid Advocacy Heart cat sanctuary has been put below quarantine and is closed to the general public till additional discover.