Key points
- Avian influenza viruses, which can cause bird flu illness, mainly infect and spread among wild birds and domestic poultry. However, some avian influenza viruses can infect and spread to other animals, including pets.
- While it is unlikely that you would get sick with bird flu from direct contact with your infected pet, it is possible.
- If your pets (including pet birds, cats or dogs) go outside and eat or are exposed to sick or dead birds, dairy cows, or other animals infected with avian influenza viruses, they could become infected.
- Prevent pets from interacting with wild birds, backyard poultry, cows, or other outdoor animals.
- Keep pets away from clothes, surfaces or environments that could potentially be contaminated with avian influenza viruses.
- Do not feed pets raw pet food or unpasteurized (raw) milk.
Animals that can be infected
Wild birds and other animals
Avian influenza viruses mainly infect and spread among wild birds and domestic poultry (including backyard poultry). It is possible for these viruses to infect and spread to other animals. Avian influenza A(H5) viruses have infected animals that likely ate infected birds or other wild animals.
Domestic animals
Avian influenza viruses have been detected in some farm animals and domesticated agricultural animals, including goats, alpacas, pigs, chickens (including those in backyard flocks), and in herds of dairy cows in North America. Avian influenza viruses have also been detected in some pets, including cats during outbreaks in in 2004, in 2006, and Poland and in 2023, and the United States in 2024. In the United States, most infections in cats have been associated with avian influenza A(H5N1)-affected farms; however, some infections have been linked to commercially produced raw pet food and unpasteurized (raw) milk.
While rare, it is possible for indoor-only cats to be infected with avian influenza virus, likely through contact with infected animals or people, or contaminated surfaces (for example, clothing). Veterinarians and veterinary staff in field and clinical settings who are working in close contact with cats who are suspected or confirmed-positive for avian influenza A(H5N1) virus infection should take precautions to prevent direct contact with an infected animal without personal protective equipment (PPE).
Infected pets and risks for people
Rarely, people can be infected with avian influenza viruses through contact with infected wild, stray, feral, or domestic animals. Such infections have been reported most often after prolonged and unprotected exposure to an infected animal. Avian influenza viruses have spread from mammals to people in the United States. Examples include transmissions from cats in 2016 and from cows in 2024.
In 2016, the spread of bird flu from a cat to a person was The person was a veterinarian who had mild flu symptoms after prolonged exposure to sick cats without wearing recommended PPE. Concerned pet owners can refer to the pet symptoms list below and protect themselves from potential infections by following the prevention measures that follow.
If your pet is showing signs of bird flu
If your pet is , and has been exposed to infected wild birds/poultry, dairy cows, or other animals (sick or dead), you should seek veterinary care for your pet and monitor your health for signs of fever or infection. Signs of bird flu illness in pets include:
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Low appetite
- Reddened or inflamed eyes
- Discharge from the eyes and nose
- Difficulty breathing
- Neurologic symptoms, like tremors, seizures, incoordination, or blindness
Prevention measures for people
- As a general precaution, people should avoid direct contact with wild birds and observe wild birds only from a distance.
- Pet owners should prevent their pets (including pet birds, dogs, and cats) from interacting with potentially infected dairy cows, backyard flocks, and wild animals.
- Pet owners should not let their pets consume .
- Pet owners should prevent their pets from touching clothes or other surfaces or environments that could potentially be contaminated with avian influenza viruses.
- Do not touch sick or dead birds, their feces, litter, or any surface or water source (ponds, waterers, buckets, pans, troughs) that might be contaminated with their saliva, feces, or any other bodily fluids without wearing PPE.
More information about specific precautions to take for preventing the spread of avian influenza viruses between animals and people is available at Prevention and Antiviral Treatment of Bird Flu Viruses in People.
Additional information about the appropriate PPE to wear is available at Backyard Flock Owners: Take Steps to Protect Yourself from Avian Influenza.
During outbreaks of bird flu in wild birds and/or poultry, people who have had direct contact with infected or potentially infected animals, including sick animals that might have eaten avian influenza-infected birds, should monitor their health for fever and symptoms of infection.