Cat disease. Avian flu – a virus found on a poultry sample. An appeal to undertake research on meat sold in Poland

About the virus that kills cats we have been informing on tvn24.pl for a long time. The matter of explaining what is responsible for their deaths was dealt with, among others, by experts at the Małopolska Center of Biotechnology of the Jagiellonian University. They determined that one of the most likely causes of infection of cats with the H5N1 virus is food, specifically raw meat.

Experts from three research teams (led by Prof. Pyrć, Dr. Maciej Grzybek and Dr. Łukasz Rąbalski) received five samples of meat eaten by cats before death.

“The analysis showed that there is a virus in one of the five samples. Further analysis showed that the meat contains not only the genetic material of the virus, but also an infectious virus,” Prof. Pyrć tweeted. He adds that scientists were able to isolate virus in cell cultures.

What does it mean? The expert emphasizes that it cannot be unequivocally ruled out that the virus was found on raw meat later, or that the meat was contaminated by the owners with the virus developing in the cat’s body. However, it indicates that it cannot be ruled out that it was the meat that was the source of infection.

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“It would not be surprising, because already in 2007, a case of contamination of frozen duck meat with the H5N1 virus was reported, which caused outbreaks of the disease in German– points out Professor Krzysztof Pyrć.

Experts (Dr. Grzybek and Dr. Rąbalski are also signed on Twitter) in connection with finding the virus, appeal to the veterinary services and sanitary inspection to examine the meat available in Poland and “consider including meat testing for H5N1 influenza”:

“This is crucial not only because of cats, but also because this virus poses a threat to human life,” the published statement reads.

This is – as emphasized in the entry – important because the Polish poultry industry accounts for almost 20 percent. the EU market, and the estimated value of meat exports is over EUR 3 billion.

“It’s worth imagining the consequences for this sector of the economy if it actually turned out that contaminated meat ended up in FranceItaly or Germany” – we read in the entry published by Professor Pryć.

The entry signed by three experts from the Małopolska Center of Biotechnology of the Jagiellonian University was published in connection with the article by “Gazeta Wyborcza”. The author of the text reports that the meat sample on which the virus was found was purchased in one of the supermarkets.

The National Poultry Council – Chamber of Commerce reacted with indignation to the publication. In a statement issued, they claim that the text contained “unverified and unconfirmed information”. They indicate that “current scientific knowledge does not allow for a clear link between fed poultry meat and the occurrence of H5N1 avian influenza in domestic cats.”

Representatives of the Chamber claim that the meat samples submitted for testing were taken “in violation of the elementary rules of sterility, without observing any rules and methods of collecting research material”.

The statement also reads that the research of the National Veterinary and National Research Institute shows that the probable source of infections in cats is probably wild birds. Members of the Chamber believe that the dissemination of “unconfirmed information” regarding the link between the disease is harmful to poultry producers.

“Such information arouses unjustified anxiety among consumers of these products and lowers their confidence in producers of meat products” – it was noted.

Due to H5N1 virus infections in cats, it took preventive measures to prevent influenza in humans. Owners and carers of infected cats have been placed under epidemiological supervision, GIS announced on Tuesday.

At the same time, it was emphasized that human infection occurs extremely rarely and only as a result of direct and prolonged contact with sick birds. The possibility of infection mainly concerns people professionally in contact with poultry and wild birds.

In Poland, no cases of human infection with the A/H5N1/ influenza virus have been registered so far, emphasized the Chief Sanitary Inspector.

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The risk of transmission of infection from a sick cat to a human is negligible. The owners of dead cats with confirmed infection with A/H5N1/ are contacted preventively by employees of poviat sanitary and epidemiological stations, the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate indicated.

health department advises cat owners to avoid direct contact with sick poultry, dead wild birds and objects with traces of bird droppings.

After coming home, you should immediately protect your shoes against access by cats, clean your shoes after returning home and after staying in outdoor conditions where they could be contaminated with bird droppings, and disinfect the surface where the shoes were placed.

It is also recommended to wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water, especially when you come home and before preparing a meal.

If your pet shows symptoms of the disease, you should immediately report it to the veterinarian, and in the event of disturbing flu-like symptoms – contact the doctor.