14 of the contaminated animals had been reported to have been euthanised. (Representational)

Geneva:

Poland is the primary nation to report “high numbers” of cats contaminated with chicken flu throughout a big space, the WHO stated Monday, including that the danger of human an infection remained low.

The World Health Organization stated that since Polish well being authorities knowledgeable it final month of bizarre cat deaths throughout the nation, 29 cats had examined constructive for H5N1 chicken flu.

They had been amongst 46 cats and one captive caracal examined for the virus, it stated, including that 14 of the contaminated animals had been reported to have been euthanised, whereas one other 11 had died.

The final loss of life was reported on June 30.

“The source of the exposure of cats to the virus is currently unknown and epizootic investigations are ongoing,” WHO stated in an announcement.

Since late 2021, Europe has had its worst-ever outbreak of chicken flu, whereas North and South America have additionally skilled extreme outbreaks.

This has led to the culling of tens of thousands and thousands of poultry worldwide, many with the H5N1 pressure of the virus, which first emerged in 1996.

There has not too long ago been a worrying spike in infections in mammals.

The UN well being company identified that sporadic an infection of cats with H5N1 had beforehand been reported.

“But this is the first report of a high numbers of infected cats over a wide geographical area within a country,” it stated.

As of July 12, no human contacts of contaminated cats had reported signs, the WHO stated, including that the surveillance interval for all contacts had been accomplished.

It confused that the danger of human infections following publicity to contaminated cats had been assessed as low for the overall inhabitants in Poland.

The threat for cat homeowners, veterinarians and others who is likely to be uncovered extra commonly to H5N1-infected cats with out utilizing private protecting tools was in the meantime seen as low to reasonable, it stated.

Bird flu infections in people are uncommon, however once they happen could cause extreme illness with a excessive mortality price.

Human H5N1 circumstances are often the results of direct or oblique publicity to contaminated stay or useless poultry or contaminated environments.

Since 2020, the WHO stated it had acquired 12 reviews of human H5N1 circumstances worldwide. Four of them had been extreme circumstances, whereas eight had been gentle or asymptomatic.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is printed from a syndicated feed.)