France - 1 new outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 in a cat in a poultry farm in Mauléon, Deux-Sèvres (WOAH, December 28, 2022)

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France - Influenza A viruses of high pathogenicity (Inf. with) (non-poultry including wild birds) (2017-) - Immediate notification

GENERAL INFORMATION
COUNTRY/TERRITORY OR ZONE
ZONE

ANIMAL TYPE
TERRESTRIAL

DISEASE CATEGORY
OIE-listed

EVENT ID
4807

DISEASE
Influenza A viruses of high pathogenicity (Inf. with) (non-poultry including wild birds) (2017-)

CAUSAL AGENT
Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus

GENOTYPE / SEROTYPE / SUBTYPE
H5N1

START DATE
2022/12/20

REASON FOR NOTIFICATION
Unusual host species

DATE OF LAST OCCURRENCE
-

CONFIRMATION DATE
2022/12/27

EVENT STATUS
Resolved

END DATE
2022/12/28

SELF-DECLARATION
NO

REPORT INFORMATION
REPORT NUMBER
Immediate notification

REPORT ID
IN_158454

REPORT REFERENCE
IAHP_NP_H5N1_2022_IN_CHAT

REPORT DATE
2022/12/28

REPORT STATUS
Validated

NO EVOLUTION REPORT
-

EPIDEMIOLOGY

SOURCE OF EVENT OR ORIGIN OF INFECTION
Unknown or inconclusive

EPIDEMIOLOGICAL COMMENTS
Cat present in a poultry farm (HPAI outbreak ob-110288, event 4116). The animal was euthanized on December 23rd.

...
NEW OUTBREAKS
OB_110977 - LNR-22-11802 - MAULÉON (79079)
OUTBREAK REFERENCE
LNR-22-11802

START DATE
2022/12/20

END DATE
2022/12/28

DETAILED CHARACTERISATION
Clade: 2.3.4.4b - Lineage: Reassortment Eurasian and North American

FIRST ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISION
Nouvelle-Aquitaine

SECOND ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISION
Deux-Sèvres

THIRD ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISION
Bressuire

EPIDEMIOLOGICAL UNIT
Other

LOCATION
Mauléon (79079)

Latitude, Longitude
46.922312 , -0.689995058

OUTBREAKS IN CLUSTER
-

MEASURING UNIT
Animal

AFFECTED POPULATION DESCRIPTION
-

SpeciesSusceptibleCasesDeathsKilled and Disposed ofSlaughtered/ Killed for commercial useVaccinated
Cats (DOMESTIC)
NEW - 1 1 - - -
TOTAL - 1 1 - - -

...
https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/4807

 

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Translation Google

A cat dies of avian flu in Deux-Sèvres: "A world first"

Mauleon
Of France Blue Poitou , France Blue
Tuesday, January 24, 2023 at 3:53 PM
Through William Giraud

A cat died on December 23 near a poultry farm affected by bird flu in Mauléon in Deux-Sèvres. The animal, positive for the H5N1 virus, died. A rare barrier crossing according to Pierre Bessière, virologist at the National Veterinary School of Toulouse.

On December 28, 2022, the French health authorities notified the World Organization for Animal Health of the detection of the highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) virus in a cat present in a poultry farm euthanized on December 23 in Mauléon in the Deux -Sevres. The analyzes carried out in a specialized laboratory in Brittany are formal.

This is an " exceptional case " explains Pierre Bessière, virologist at the National Veterinary School of Toulouse .“ An avian virus, by definition, is adapted to birds and is not very good at going to infect a mammal.In certain circumstances, when a mammal is confronted with a large quantity of virus, we can have what we calls a crossing of the species barrier ".

Contamination of a cat with the "2344B" virus group had never been observed on the planet

" It suffices that the cat has eaten droppings , has inhaled a large quantity of dust or that it has gone to feed on a bird carcass ... All of this can very well explain that it has been contaminated by the virus “ continues the researcher. Pets aren't the only ones affected. “ We have already observed contamination from birds to humans, pigs, cats, dogs and even cetaceans ”.

Contaminations of cats with H5N1 in Europe had already occurred in the early 2000s. " But a clinical case with a virus that corresponds to the strains currently circulating is the first time that this has been described in the world. " news that has not gone unnoticed by the international community. " We constantly monitor the scientific literature and it is in this context that we were informed of the discovery made in Deux-Sèvres ", concludes Pierre Bessière.

https://www.francebleu.fr/infos/sant...ndiale-8235399

 

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Translation Google

01/24/2023
ANIMAL HEALTH AND WELFARE

A cat infected with the avian influenza virus


At the end of December, a sick cat tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus in Deux-Sèvres. ANSES was actively involved in the investigation of this case, which made it possible to identify the neighboring duck farm as being the source of the cat's contamination. The multiplication of these viral transfers from birds to mammals in different countries calls for vigilance, as this could facilitate a possible transition to humans.


Contamination observed in France for the first time

ANSES, as the national reference laboratory, confirmed at the end of 2022 the contamination of a cat by the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1. This cat, which lived near a duck farm affected by the virus, suffered from severe neurological symptoms due to the viral infection and had to be euthanized.

The sensitivity of cats to highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI) has been known since 2004 and has already been demonstrated in Thailand and Germany in 2006. This is the first time that such contamination has been observed in France.

A virus that adapts to mammals

The virus detected in this cat presents genetic characteristics of adaptation to mammals. As indicated above, the avian influenza virus can sporadically infect mammals following mutations in the genome. However, it should be checked that these phenomena remain sporadic and that the viruses which have acquired these capacities of passage to mammals are not detected in poultry farms.

The genetic investigations carried out by ANSES made it possible to verify that only the cat carried this mutant virus and that this mutation was not present, at this stage, in the ducks from the farm at the origin of the contamination. .

Get vaccinated against the seasonal flu to prevent the emergence of a new virus

The contamination of pets such as cats could facilitate the passage of the virus to humans. It is therefore essential to keep them away from infected farms and from euthanasia operations in contaminated duck homes.

In addition, professionals exposed to swine and avian influenza viruses are advised to get vaccinated against seasonal flu. Indeed, a simultaneous infection by an avian influenza virus and a human influenza virus could lead to the emergence of a new influenza virus potentially very contagious for humans.



https://www.anses.fr/fr/chat-infecte...luenza-aviaire

 

[Pathfinder]

Translation Google

Avian flu: after the death of their cat, the family is still waiting for the test results

Ouest-France revealed it on Tuesday January 24: in Mauléon, in Deux-Sèvres, a family lost their cat, at the end of December 2022, tested positive for the H5N1 type virus. A few days before, the farm of neighboring laying ducks was decimated by avian flu. As a precaution, other animals and people in the cat’s family were tested. Why this procedure? Public Health France responds.

West France
Celine BARDY .
Published on01/26/2023 at 10:24 a.m.

“At the end of December 2022, a domestic cat infected with the H5N1 avian influenza virus was identified in Deux-Sèvres. This is the first detection of this virus in a cat in France”, immediately confirms Public Health France that Ouest-France contacted after revealing the case of a family from Deux-Sèvres whose cat was euthanized December 23, 2022. A test is carried out on the dead animal. He tested positive for avian flu.

At the end of this discovery, the dog and the other cat of the family had to be tested as well as the people of the family. “A PCR and a blood test. “, specifies to Ouest-France Arnaud Lambert, the father of the family. The PCR tests are negative, “we don't have the results of the blood tests”. However, “we are asked to do new tests. We refused, we are not guinea pigs”

Why this procedure?

"This event is exceptional and requires special attention to ensure that the people who were exposed to this cat when he was sick (owners of the cat and veterinarians who cared for him) were not contaminated at their turn”, replies Public Health France. The organization specifies that: "Infection with an avian influenza virus in humans requires appropriate medical care and epidemiological investigations to ensure that there is no human-to-human transmission around a case. »

Public Health France adds: “The virological tests by RT-PCR, carried out about a week after the last exposure to the cat, all turned out to be negative. However, this does not rule out infection, even in the absence of clinical symptoms, since virus excretion only lasts a few days after infection. This is the reason why serological analyzes have been recommended: the antibodies directed against the virus to fight against the disease are detectable several months after infection. »

Finally, “in the event that one or more infections are detected among people who have been exposed to the infected cat, additional epidemiological investigations will be carried out to ensure that there has been no human-to-human transmission in the cat. entourage of the human case(s).

https://www.ouest-france.fr/sante/g...es-tests-89e0e22e-9d57-11ed-8527-233d34cc2458