Belgium detects first bird flu cases in cats
The cats lived on a farm hit with avian influenza
12 March 2025
1 minute read
By: Belgium has reported its first cases of H5 avian flu in domestic cats, officials confirmed on 4 March. The country’s Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain detected the virus in two outdoor cats owned by a poultry farmer in East Flanders, where an avian influenza outbreak struck the farm’s poultry in mid-February.
Both cats developed severe symptoms and were euthanised, while other cats at the farm remain healthy and show no signs of infection. Authorities believe the cats likely contracted the virus by consuming contaminated eggs or drinking infected water.
Although this marks the first detection of avian influenza in cats in Belgium, the virus has previously been identified in other mammals, including foxes, polecats and domestic ferrets.
Officials suggest these animals were exposed through scavenging bird carcasses or consuming contaminated eggs.
