Bird Flu in Raw Cow Milk Has Killed Farm Cats in a Concerning First [View all]

Last edited Wed May 1, 2024, 06:58 PM - Edit history (1)

In mid-March, a mysterious disease began to spread among cows at a north Texas dairy farm. Just a few days later, cats on the farm started acting strange.

Their eyes and noses leaked copiously, they walked incessantly in circles, their bodies grew stiff, and they lost their sight and coordination. Then, they began to die.

According to officials at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a dozen of the domestic felines on this one farm were the casualties of a highly contagious strain of bird flu. They seem to have contracted the virus from drinking raw, unpasteurized milk from cows on the property.

https://www.sciencealert.com/bird-flu-in-raw-cow-milk-has-killed-farm-cats-in-a-concerning-first

This post is not meant to be alarmist. Takeaways should be

1. The virus is mutating and is on the move, although they might never find out where grazing animals are getting it beyond bird droppings in pastures. It will take a lot of mutation for the virus to be transmitted through the air, to and between humans.

2. Take raw milk off the menu, please, the risk isn't worth it, the present bird flu is a proven killer in humans as well as kitties.