A cat in Thermopolis, Wyoming, tested positive for the H5N1 virus after munching on an infected bird.

Local health officials confirmed Saturday that the cat caught the highly pathogenic avian influenza after eating a bird. It’s certainly one of the primary known cases of bird flu-infected cats within the U.S., in keeping with Cowboy State Day by day.

The Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory told the outlet that the barn cat probably got infected after eating wild waterfowl.

“That is the primary report of HPAI (highly pathogenic avian influenza) in a domestic cat in Wyoming, and it likely became infected from ingesting meat from wild waterfowl,” the lab said.

Two other cases of cats testing positive for H5N1 were reported in Nebraska, the lab’s supervisor of virology, Dr. Myrna Miller, told BNO News.

The 2 cats reportedly died in January after contracting the virus, presumably from the predation of untamed birds, in keeping with Dr. Sarah Sillman, of the University of Nebraska’s Veterinary Diagnostic Center.

In a case report, Sillman noted that the primary cat died after a “rapid decline” in health and affected by multiple symptoms, including fever, tremors, weight reduction, seizures and lack of proprioception. The opposite cat, which stayed in the identical household, developed symptoms shortly after the primary cat manifested the condition.

The opposite cats within the household didn’t develop symptoms and tested negative for H5N1.

“Keeping cats indoors to forestall wild bird contact – particularly given the context of the present HPAI outbreak – and avoiding feeding uncooked poultry are recommendations to reduce risk of H5N1 infection,” Sillman wrote.

There isn’t a available bird flu vaccine within the U.S. as of late. John R. Clifford, a veterinary trade policy advisor for the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council, admitted an approved vaccine that’s a very good match to the virus just isn’t yet available.

“For one thing, we do not have an approved vaccine available yet that is a very good match to the virus. In point of fact, biosecurity is the most effective weapon we have now against this,” Clifford said, as quoted by WYATTPoultry.com.

In related news, a doggy in Canada recently died of avian influenza after chewing on a wild goose. Experts said the case was rare because only a couple of pet dogs and cats contract bird flu worldwide.

Health employees pack dead chickens into trash bins at a wholesale poultry market in Hong Kong December 31, 2014.
REUTERS/Tyrone Siu