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. 2024 Oct;29(44):2400326.
doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2024.29.44.2400326.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5 virus exposure in domestic cats and rural stray cats, the Netherlands, October 2020 to June 2023

Mirjam B H M Duijvestijn  1 , Nancy N M P Schuurman  2 , Johannes C M Vernooij  3 , Michelle A J M van Leeuwen  4 , Judith M A van den Brand  5 , Jaap A Wagenaar  1 , Frank J M van Kuppeveld  2 , Herman F Egberink  1   2 , Cornelis A M de Haan  2 , Josanne H Verhagen  1   2
Affiliations

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5 virus exposure in domestic cats and rural stray cats, the Netherlands, October 2020 to June 2023

Mirjam B H M Duijvestijn et al. Euro Surveill. 2024 Oct.

Abstract

BackgroundHighly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5Nx and human H1N1pdm2009 influenza viruses can infect cats. Infections in cats may result in viral adaptations or recombinant viruses, which may facilitate zoonotic transfer.AimWe aimed to investigate the presence of HPAI H5 clade 2.3.4.4 and H1 influenza viruses and antibodies to these viruses in domestic and rural stray cats in the Netherlands and factors associated with exposure.MethodsSera from stray and domestic cats, sampled 2020-2023, were analysed by ELISA and confirmed by hemagglutination inhibition assay (HAI) and pharyngeal swabs and lung tissue for influenza A virus by RT-qPCR.ResultsIn 701 stray cats, 83 (11.8%; 95% confidence interval (CI): 9.5-14.5) sera were positive for HPAI H5 and 65 findings were confirmed. In HAI, two sera were positive for both HPAI H5 and H1. In 871 domestic cats, four (0.46%; 95% CI: 0.13-1.2) sera were HPAI H5 positive and none were confirmed but 40 (4.6%; 95% CI: 3.3-6.2) sera were seropositive for H1 and 26 were confirmed. Stray cats living in nature reserves (odds ratio (OR) = 5.4; 95% CI: 1.5-20.1) and older cats (OR = 3.8; 95% CI: 2.7-7.1) were more likely to be HPAI H5 seropositive. No influenza A virus was detected in 230 cats.ConclusionThe higher HPAI H5 seroprevalence in stray cats compared with domestic cats suggests more frequent viral exposure, most likely due to foraging on wild birds. In contrast, exposure to H1 was more common in domestic cats compared with stray cats.

Keywords: Serosurveillance; avian influenza; pandemic preparedness; zoonosis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Spatial distribution of stray (n = 701) and domestic (n = 871) cats serologically tested for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5 antibodies, the Netherlands, October 2020–June 2023a
Figure 2
Figure 2
Heat maps and scatterplots presenting serum samples from stray cats (n = 89) and domestic cats (n = 43) tested positive in ELISA for antibodies to highly (HPAI), to low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) H5 virus and/or to human influenza H1 virus, the Netherlands, October 2020–June 2023
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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