A shocking and unprecedented death toll occurred when 20 large felines, consisting of one Bengal tiger, four cougars, one lynx, and four bobcats, died of bird flu at the Wild Felid Advocacy Center in Shelton, Washington. As a sanctuary to several species of wild felids, the facility had experienced significant devastation with the quick spreading of the virus and represents a huge set-back in the animal protection and conservation efforts.
The deaths of the big cats occurred between late November and mid-December, with the center’s director, Mark Mathews, revealing that this was an extraordinary situation. “We’ve never had anything like it; they usually die basically of old age,” Mathews said in an interview with the New York Times. He described the bird flu virus as “a pretty wicked virus,” underlining its rapid and severe impact.
Avian influenza, also called HPAI (highly pathogenic avian influenza), is sweeping across poultry flocks and other livestock in the United States. It even infected a domestic cat in the region and caused severe illness in a person in Louisiana. The reports reveal that over half of the wild cats of the Wild Felid Advocacy Center were infected with the virus, while 20 big cats were reported dead because of this illness. The sanctuary reported that three cats have recovered, with one remaining in critical condition.
Attempts To ContainVirus
After the bird flu outbreak was confirmed, the sanctuary took immediate steps to contain the virus and to safeguard the remaining animals. Early December saw confirmation by animal health officials of the presence of the virus in the center, resulting in swift quarantine and tight implementation of biosecurity measures. The center worked in tandem with federal, state, and county animal health officials to disinfect the sanctuary and prevent further infections.
Despite these precautions, the virus has been advancing very fast. The center clarified that bird flu is contagious to carnivorous mammals which consume infected birds or their products. Infected cats often show mild symptoms, which quickly deteriorate and can lead to death in 24 hours through pneumonia-like conditions.
The sanctuary, which is not open to the public, is dedicated to figuring out where this virus came from. During its continued efforts, it has disposed of 8,000 pounds of frozen food that it had stocked in freezers, and is cleaning with disinfectants each exhibit. Currently, only 17 cats are left on the campus as the crew continues in its efforts not to have any more casualties.
In addition to the deaths at the sanctuary, avian flu has been confirmed in wild birds throughout Washington state. The state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife has reported numerous infections. In an alarming development, two cougars in another area of the state were found infected with the H5N1 strain of the virus.
National Concerns Over Avian Flu
The case at the Wild Felid Advocacy Center is just one piece of a larger puzzle as bird flu has swept rapidly across the United States this year. In California, the virus has infected a significant portion of the state’s dairy cattle herds, with cows in 645 dairies testing positive for H5N1. Additionally, at a Texas dairy farm, 12 barn cats died after consuming infected raw milk. Health officials in Los Angeles are also investigating three household cats presumed to have bird flu. These cases follow the deaths of two other cats that ingested recalled raw milk.
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