Outbreak of mysterious bird flu in cats in Poland

The World Health Organization stated that since Polish health authorities reported unusual cat deaths nationwide last month, 29 cats have tested positive for H5N1 bird flu.

Out of the infected animals, 14 were euthanized, and 11 died.

The latest death was reported on June 30th.

In their statement, the WHO said, "The source of cats' exposure to the virus is currently unknown, and epizootic investigations are ongoing."

Some cats had developed severe symptoms such as difficulty breathing, bloody diarrhea, and neurological signs, while in some cases, rapid deterioration and death were observed.

Since the end of 2021, Europe has been experiencing the worst bird flu outbreak to date, and North and South America have also faced serious outbreaks.

This has led to the culling of tens of millions of poultry carrying the H5N1 virus strain, which was first detected in 1996.

There has also been a concerning increase in infections in mammals recently.