Some epidemiologists, food safety experts and veterinarians are concerned that pets could be a potential springboard for H5N1 bird flu to evolve into a human threat. They warn pet owners not to feed their animals raw food.
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When researchers talk about their biggest fears about bird flu, one that often comes up is that of an animal, such as a pig, becoming simultaneously infected with bird and human flu. This creature, now a vessel of viral mixing, provides the means for a superbug to develop, one that takes the killer genes of bird flu and combines them with the human variety's ability to infect easily.
So far, domestic birds and dairy cows have proven to be imperfect recipients. The same goes for the more than 48 species of mammals that became infected by eating infected birds and then died.
But researchers say there is one population of animals that goes unnoticed: pets. The risk may be low, but the opportunities for transmission are plentiful.
“I think companion animals definitely need to be around,” said Jane Sykes, professor of medicine and epidemiology at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, describing the view that diseases like H5N1 need to be viewed from a human perspective. , animal and ecosystem. . None operate in isolation.
He pointed out our furry friends' penchant for eating dead things, other animals' droppings and, in the case of cats, wild birds. Add to that the primate compulsion to touch, kiss, and pet these animals that live in our homes (and sleep in some of our beds), and you have a situation where germs could be exchanged and mixed.
Now consider the large number of companion animals and people in the US.
“Two-thirds of households have a dog or cat,” said Jane Sykes, professor of small animal medicine at UC Davis veterinary school. “There are a lot of pets. “There are actually more… in this country than there are people in Australia and the UK combined.”
He also pointed to new research showing H5N1 antibodies in a group of Washington state hunting dogs trained to retrieve waterfowl, which carry the disease.
Ian Redmond, a UK-based biologist and head of conservation at Ecoflix, a nonprofit animal-oriented streaming network, agreed.
“It is logical that the spread of pathogens [when a virus, bacterium or protozoon is transmitted from one species to another] “This is more likely when different species are in close contact,” he said.
“While traditional companion animals, such as dogs, cats and horses, have a long history of such close contact with humans, giving us thousands of years to develop natural immunity to commonly shared pathogens, it is the new situations that carry greater risk,” he said. he said, including “raw pet food of uncertain origin.”
It's an area that epidemiologists, food safety experts and veterinarians are watching cautiously — a situation similar to the dangers posed by drinking raw milk.
“There is at least one animal a day that we see in our service that has eaten a strange raw food diet,” Sykes said. “Before it wasn't like that at all.”
Raw pet foods generally consist of raw meat, bones, fruits, and vegetables. Diets are often marketed as “natural” or similar to what animals would eat in the wild.
Calls and inquiries to several raw pet food companies, including Jeffrey's Natural Pet Foods in San Francisco, BJ's Raw Pet Food in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Instinct Raw Pet Food in St. Louis, went unanswered.
An inquiry to Emma Kumbier, veterinary outreach coordinator at Primal Pet Foods in Fairfield, California, also went cold after The Times asked about the types of processes or procedures that are in place to ensure pets are not inadvertently exposed. to bird flu through infected birds or livestock.
Jay Van Rein, spokesman for the California Department of Food and Agriculture, said the state's Meat, Poultry and Egg Safety Division licenses and inspects companies that produce raw meat, as well as those that import raw products for the manufacture of meat. pet food.
“Raw meat pet foods sold legally in California come from USDA or CDFA inspected facilities,” he said.
Inspections focus on sanitation, proper product labeling, storage, control of inedible byproducts, pest control, and record keeping. He noted that “cooking meat has been shown to effectively kill bacteria of concern and has now been shown to kill HPAI as well.” [bird flu]“so if an owner wants to make sure their pet is not exposed to these pathogens, they should cook the meat.”
Janell Goodwin, a spokeswoman for the Food and Drug Administration, said that “all animal foods should be safe, wholesome and not mislabeled.”
He cited the Preventive Controls for Animal Food requirements, which state that pet food manufacturers are responsible for “ensuring that raw materials and other ingredients” are received only from approved suppliers “whose raw materials are subject to verification activities.”
But with limited testing currently being done on dairy cattle and uncertainty about the disease's spread in the U.S. livestock industry, determining the status of H5N1 in cows destined for slaughter is murky at best, experts said. .
Van Rein said people can take steps to protect their pets (and themselves) by avoiding raw meat. But if they insist on buying it for their pets, state health officials said, these precautions can lessen the risk: Keep it frozen or refrigerated until ready to use; thaw in refrigeration or in the microwave just before using; keep raw meat and poultry products separate from other foods; Wash work surfaces, utensils (including cutting boards and prep and feeding bowls), hands, and any other items that come into contact with raw meat or poultry with hot water and soap.
Finally, Van Rein said, refrigerate leftovers immediately or throw them away.
Veterinarians “really don't recommend feeding dogs and cats raw food diets,” Sykes said. “It definitely increases the risk of certain infectious diseases like salmonella and listeriosis.”
He said people can reduce their pets' exposure to bird flu and other pathogens by keeping cats indoors, keeping dogs on a leash and possibly avoiding raw pet food.
He said veterinary societies and extension organizations are urging veterinarians to watch for signs of H5N1 infection, which could include apathy, conjunctivitis, blindness, neurological symptoms and/or difficulty breathing.
He noted that during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, pets also became infected. In response, diagnostic labs added COVID-specific tests to their PCR panels, “and that was a good way to monitor it in companion animals.”
He said similar diagnostic tests should be done for H5N1.
“I think the sooner we get those types of diagnostic tests, the better it will be in terms of preparedness,” he said.
