Why Ohio doctors are worried about bird flu for pet owners
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- More cases of the avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, have been detected in Ohio in recent weeks.
According to the United Nations, it has killed more than 300 million birds worldwide and one person in the U.S. Health officials still said the risk for the public is low right now but a professor at Ohio State's College of Veterinary Medicine said the medical community has been scrambling to slow down the spread.
“As much as I hate to use the term unprecedented, I think what we're seeing with this strain really is something new and novel,” said Dr. Andrew Bowman. Of the 67 people detected with the bird flu since its spread in 2021, none of the human cases have been in Ohio.
We have seen the spread here in animals, most recently on a Darke County farm with more than 900,000 chickens infected. “We do have a vaccine stockpile. It will start for humans if this were to turn into something that looks like it's more severe for humans and or human transmissible but the reservoir being wild birds is a really difficult thing to control,” said Dr. Bowman.
The virus has yet to be spread from person to person, so he said people should only be concerned right now if they are working with wild animals. Dr. Bowman did say he is worried about protecting pets. “I do think there is this concern, especially for animals that are outdoors. You know, if it's a domestic cat that maybe is an indoor-outdoor cat,” he said.
Dr. Bowman recommends limiting pets' time outdoors, especially unsupervised. There is also a pet food concern. The Northwest Naturals of Portland brand recently issued a voluntary recall of its 2lb. Feline Turkey Recipe raw & frozen pet food. The product was sold nationwide including at the Graceland Mutts & Co.
“Certainly the recommendation of using either pasteurized products or fully cooked products would be the safe bet. So raw pet food is certainly a concern. Raw milk consumption, whether for animals or for people, is a concern as well,” said Dr. Bowman.
Most cases in humans are reportedly mild. The top symptoms of bird flu in humans are pink eye, fever, fatigue and cough, per the Cleveland Clinic. Healthcare providers can diagnose avian flu with a throat or nose swab test.