Avian influenza is a highly contagious virus that affects both wild and domestic birds, as well as some mammal species. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) is closely monitoring cases of the virus, and the public is urged to report any sick or dead birds to the appropriate authorities.

The cats had no known exposure to infected poultry, livestock, raw milk, or raw meat, but they roamed freely outdoors, where they may have been exposed to wild birds or other animals.

Hunterdon County Health Officer Karen DeMarco on Thursday, March 6, provided an update on additional feline cases of H5 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI or “bird flu”) in New Jersey.

Health officials in New Jersey are warning residents after H5N1 avian influenza — or bird flu — was found in dead wild Canada geese in Burlington and Monmouth counties recently. In Burlington County,

The H5N1 virus, which has devastated poultry farms across the U.S., is now keeping people away from several parks in Allentown, Monmouth County.

The number of commercial flocks infected with avian influenza dropped in February, while infections in backyard flocks held steady. Fifty-nine farms were infected last month and accounted for most of the 12.7 million birds lost.

It is not unusual for cats to be infected with bird flu and develop severe illness. There have been no reports of transmission from cats to humans.

A new low-cost sensor that detects airborne H5N1 avian flu in under five minutes sounds mighty good as bird flu continues to spread, infecting 70 people in the United States in the past 11 months, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta has confirmed.

WESTAMPTON – The Burlington County Health Department announced the county’s first bird to test positive for H5N1 avian influenza, also known as bird flu, this week and encouraged residents to take precautions by avoiding contact with any sick or dead birds they encounter.

A Washington company has recalled pet food products amid the ongoing bird flu outbreaks. On March 1, Wild Coast Raw of Olympia, Washington, has recalled its frozen Boneless Free Range Chicken Formula raw pet food for cats, according to a March 1 announcement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).