House cats infected with bird flu in New York City, health officials say
Two cats in different households in New York City were infected with bird flu, the city's health department announced.
Officials did not disclose the cats' conditions and are still investigating how they contracted the virus, but urged pet owners not to let their felines roam outdoors or feed them raw food or raw milk—common ways avian influenza can be transmitted.
"The current risk to New Yorkers of bird flu remains low," Michelle Morse, acting commissioner of the New York City Health Department, said in a statement Friday. "Bird flu viruses present a wider risk to the general public only if the virus develops the ability to transmit between people—which we have not seen."
It's possible for people to catch bird flu from animals, however, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since the start of the current outbreak in 2022, 70 people have been infected with bird flu, one of whom died, according to the CDC.
On Feb. 7, after detection of avian flu at seven live poultry markets in Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens, Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered all live bird markets in New York City, plus Westchester, Suffolk and Nassau counties, 82 fowl markets in all, to close for a week, and to be cleaned and disinfected.
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