Avian Influenza Veterinary Advisory

Posted July 16, 2025. Past health advisories and alerts are archived for historical purposes and are not maintained or updated.

May 1, 2025

Veterinarians and other animal care workers should take precautions to prevent potential unprotected exposures when working in close contact with cats suspected or confirmed-positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) virus infection in field and clinical settings, including those who are sampling cats for HPAI A(H5N1) viruses. Avian influenza rarely causes illness in humans, but it is important to take steps to prevent infection and to monitor your health after exposure.  

Cats appear to be particularly susceptible to severe illness from avian influenza infection. Dogs can rarely become infected, but the risk of infection or illness in dogs is not well understood. The most common route of exposure for cats appears to be the consumption of raw or unpasteurized milk or dairy products, or raw or undercooked meat, including raw pet food diets. Infected cats have also been associated with contact with wild birds, contaminated environments (e.g., infected dairy and poultry farms), and from contact with people who work on infected dairy farms. 

How do I know if I have been exposed to avian influenza?

Animals infected with avian influenza may shed the virus in their saliva, mucous, feces, and possibly other body fluids. People can become infected if the virus gets into their eyes, nose, or mouth, or if it is breathed in. You may be exposed to avian influenza if you have contact with live or dead animals infected with avian influenza. Additionally, exposure can occur through contact with surfaces contaminated with the feces or body fluids of infected animals, or if you were in a closed space with infected animals. Handling raw pet food diets that are contaminated with avian influenza could also pose a risk to people. 

How do I protect myself and others?

Follow these recommendations to best prevent potential spread of avian influenza to other people or animals:

• In all clinical care settings, follow recommendations outlined in the Compendium of Veterinary Standard Precautions for Zoonotic Disease Prevention in Veterinary Personnel
• Wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when working with animals that are suspected or confirmed to be infected with avian influenza.
  • Recommended PPE: Properly fitted unvented or indirectly vented safety goggles, disposable gloves, boots or disposable boots covers, a NIOSH-approved respirator (such as a disposable N95 respirator), disposable fluid resistant coveralls, and disposable head cover or hair cover.
  • Use particular care during aerosol-generating procedures (e.g., intubation, dental procedures).
  • Additional information for veterinarians evaluating cats with suspected or confirmed HPAI: Considerations for Veterinarians: Evaluating and Handling of Cats Potentially Exposed to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Virus | Bird Flu | CDC
• Put on and take off PPE in separate clean areas and never wear contaminated clothing or equipment outside of the work area.
• Avoid touching your eyes, mouth, and nose after touching any contaminated material while wearing PPE. Do not eat, drink, smoke or use the bathroom while wearing PPE. Wash hands before eating, drinking or smoking.
• Perform good hand hygiene such as handwashing with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand rub after removing PPE.
• Isolate animals with suspected avian influenza from other animals in the clinic. Do not have the pet spend time in a waiting or lobby area and bring in a separate entrance, if possible, to limit contact with other animals.
• Limit the number of staff handling the animal and ensure you can report the names and contact information of people who have handled the animal if asked by the local health jurisdiction.
• Alert pet owners that animals with suspected avian influenza should be isolated from other pets in the home, as well as people who are at high risk of severe illness, including children under 5 years of age, adults over 65 years of age, and pregnant or immunocompromised people. Caretakers should wear an N95 respirator or well-fitting face mask and practice good hand hygiene when caring for infected animals. 

How do I monitor my health after exposure?

Because human infections with avian influenza viruses are possible, all people with direct or close exposure to well-appearing, sick, or dead animals that are known or suspected to be infected with avian influenza viruses, or their contaminated environment (e.g., housing areas, animal bedding) including surfaces should be monitored for illness. Self-monitor for symptoms of illness for 10 days after the last day of exposure to an infected cat with symptoms. Contact your local health jurisdiction and healthcare provider if you become ill. To date, there have been no documented human cases of the current type of avian influenza (H5N1) following exposure to an infected cat or contaminated raw pet food products. The probability of transmission of the virus in cats to people or other animals is not known. 

For 10 days after your last exposure to an infected cat, watch for these symptoms of concern:

• Fever (measured) or feeling feverish/chills
• Eye tearing; redness or irritation (conjunctivitis)
• Cough
• Headaches
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Difficulty breathing (shortness of breath)
• Muscle or body aches
• Diarrhea/vomiting

Your local health agency will contact you about the 10-day monitoring period and may check in to ask if you have any of the symptoms of concern. If you don’t have any of these symptoms during your monitoring time, you can do your normal activities without any limits.  

If you have any symptoms of concern during the 10-day monitoring period, call Spokane Regional Health District at 509.324.1449 (24/7 message line) or contact your county’s local health agency right away. If you cannot reach them, call the Department of Health at 206.418.5500 (answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week). The local health agency will tell you the place to get healthcare if you need care for any symptoms of concern. A doctor or nurse might collect a sample from you by swabbing your nose, throat, or eyes.

More information about avian influenza in pets

Common clinical signs of avian influenza in cats include lethargy, low appetite, fever, red or inflamed eyes, respiratory illness (discharge from the nose or eyes, difficulty breathing, pneumonia), neurologic illness (tremors, seizures, incoordination, blindness) or sudden death. To protect pets from avian influenza:  

• Veterinarians should specifically ask pet owners about whether raw milk and raw diets are being fed, share information about the risk, and recommend pet owners not to feed raw products to pets. Pet foods that have been recalled are listed here: Washington State Department of Agriculture.
• Recommend to owners that they prevent pets from having contact with wildlife, particularly wild birds.
• If veterinarians suspect avian influenza, testing is available. Report suspected avian influenza cases in domestic pets or livestock to Washington State Department of Agriculture: https://fortress.wa.gov/agr/apps/rad/
  • WSDA may be able to help coordinate and provide for testing of domestic pets, particularly cats. Contact WSDA’s Animal Health Program at 360.902.1878 or ahealth@agr.wa.gov to see if your case meets testing criteria.
• Find more information about Testing for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus | Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory | Washington State University.
• Report sick or dead wild birds or other wild animals suspected of avian influenza to the Washington State Department of Fish & Wildlife.