It concerns a litter of young cats that were born on a farm with dairy goats. Research shows that one of the kittens succumbed to the H5N1 variant of the bird flu virus. “The other animals from the nest are also dead, probably also due to infection with the virus,” Wiersma wrote in a letter to the House of Representatives on Wednesday.
Healthcare Department calls for caution after new outbreaks of bird flu: “Don’t touch dead birds”
It is not certain how the kittens became infected with the bird flu virus. According to the owner, the kitten’s mother found a piece of a wild bird and then took it to the nest. “It is suspected that this bird was infected with the bird flu virus and the kittens became infected by eating this bird,” the minister said. It is the first time ever that a cat has died in the Netherlands from the effects of bird flu.
Symptoms
Wiersma warns cat owners to be extra vigilant for symptoms such as fever, panting or shortness of breath, lethargy, eye inflammation, runny nose, redness of the eyes, mucous nasal or eye discharge and neurological symptoms such as trembling or an unsteady gait.
Healthcare Department warns about bird flu: how worried should we be? “Nature can always outwit us”
Storage duty
Since mid-October, our northern neighbors have been subject to a cage and shielding obligation. In the letter, the minister also states that the ban on visitors for professional chicken keepers has been tightened due to the virus. “Only visitors who are necessary for the health of people and animals, such as veterinarians or animal welfare inspectors, are still allowed in the chicken stable.”