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H5N1 Information for Veterinarians

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In Illinois, there have been detections of avian influenza H5N1 in poultry, wild birds, an opossum, and zoologic animals. In other states, avian influenza H5N1 has been found in these species as well as in dairy cattle, domestic cats, and other wild mammals. Illinois veterinarians must be aware of the risk of avian influenza H5N1 in their patients and take steps to mitigate this risk to their patients, clients, and staff during this time of heightened viral transmission.

Animals at increased risk of avian influenza H5N1 include:

  • Poultry or dairy livestock
  • Animals owned by people working in the dairy, poultry, or wildlife management industries
  • Animals owned by waterfowl hunters
  • Pets fed homemade or commercial raw food diets
  • Outdoor felines that may contract the virus through predation, especially those living on or around farms and other agribusinesses, or near areas with bird die-offs

Clinical signs of avian influenza H5N1 in pets include:

  • Fever
  • Fatigue
  • Low appetite
  • Reddened or inflamed eyes
  • Discharge from the eyes and nose
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Neurologic symptoms, like tremors, seizures, incoordination, or blindness

Reporting

Veterinarians are required to report any suspect avian influenza H5N1 cases in poultry and livestock to the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA). Suspect cases in cats are not required to be reported unless samples have been submitted for testing. Information from IDOA is available at this site. Zoo personnel should also report animals suspected of having avian influenza H5N1 to the IDOA and USDA.

Protecting Staff and Clients from Avian Influenza H5N1

Veterinary staff should familiarize themselves with the CDC’s recommendations to reduce the risk of infection for individuals working with, or exposed to, potentially infected animals. Tips for both large and small animal veterinarians are found below.

Plan

Consider training office staff to screen for patients who are at potentially increased risk for H5N1 infections, so that the medical interaction can be planned. If you are seeing a client’s animal that you think could have avian influenza H5N1, plan how you would get that animal evaluated safely and consider bringing the animal into the clinic through a side entrance, to an isolation space, or at the end of the workday when there are reduced chances for interactions with other animals and people.

Protect

It is essential that veterinary staff protects themselves by wearing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) while examining animals, especially outdoor felines or those eating raw diets, as they are at increased risk for avian influenza H5N1.

Communicate

Veterinarians and staff visiting poultry and/or dairy farms with suspected avian influenza H5N1 should closely adhere to the CDC’s recommendations for PPE. They should report any breaches of PPE to their local health department as these staff members will need to undergo formal symptom monitoring for avian influenza H5N1. The upper limit of the incubation period for transmission of avian influenza H5N1 is 10 days from exposure, and therefore, symptom monitoring and contact with the local health department will extend 10 days from the person’s last potential exposure to the avian influenza H5N1 virus.

Inform

Veterinarians should counsel their clients on the best practices to avoid influenza H5N1 infection. For instance,

  • Indoor/outdoor cats should be kept mostly inside when wild bird die-offs are occurring in the area where they live.
  • Pet owners should consider avoiding feeding their pets homemade or commercial raw food.
  • Clients with backyard poultry flocks should take measures to limit their flocks’ physical exposures to wild birds.
  • Clients working in agribusiness or avid recreational hunters should practice enhanced biosafety with their outdoor gear and uniforms. Ideally, they should leave their work clothes at work or change in the garage or mud room of their home to limit household exposure to potential pathogens.
Information on the safe disposal of dead birds found on private property can be found here

Consider

During this time of enhanced avian influenza H5N1 transmission and wild bird die-offs in the United States, wild avian medicine should be limited to wildlife medical facilities that are highly trained to handle these interactions. Small animal clinics that have historically accepted sick wild birds for triage and/or euthanasia as a community service should consider pausing this practice due to the undue risk it poses to clinic staff, patients, and members of the public who are encouraged to present these animals. Veterinarians should counsel their clients and community members not to handle or attempt to help sick or deceased wild birds. During this time of heighted H5N1 transmission, only trained animal control and wildlife rehab staff wearing appropriate PPE should be handling wild birds.

Testing of domestic animals for avian influenza H5N1

Veterinarians who suspect avian influenza H5N1 in poultry or dairy cattle should consult with IDOA veterinarians before submitting samples for testing.

If a veterinarian suspects avian influenza H5N1 in a domestic pet, such as a cat, they can submit samples directly to the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine Veterinary Diagnostic Lab in Urbana. There is a fee associated with this testing. Small animal veterinarians should also report any pets that have avian influenza H5N1 to the IDOA if diagnostic samples have been submitted to a laboratory.

If a veterinarian is concerned for avian influenza H5N1 in a deceased domestic cat, information below can be used to request free post-mortem testing of animals meeting the following criteria:

  • Must have access to the outdoors unless they live on a dairy or poultry farm or are fed raw meat, poultry, or milk.
  • Must have had respiratory and neurologic signs and must have been formally evaluated by a veterinarian who can share the patient’s medical record.
  • Must be at least 12 weeks of age or 3 pounds in weight.
  • There should be no documented history of head trauma, brain tumor, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or seizure disorder.
  • Any animal with neurologic signs must be tested negative for rabies prior to avian influenza H5N1 testing. There is a fee associated with rabies testing at the University of Illinois Veterinary Diagnostic Lab. IDPH will test neurologic animals for rabies without a fee.

Note: Testing must be approved by IDOA veterinarians or IDPH public health veterinarians.

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