Wildlife disease specialists California Department of Fish and Wildlife CDFW has confirmed the death of an adult bobcat from the highly pathogenic Eurasian strain of avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 in Butte County.
It is noteworthy that this is the first detection of the virus in a wild mammal in the state of California.
The bobcat remains were collected in Butte County by CDFW on December 23, 2022, and samples were sent to the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System for preliminary testing.
On January 24, the National Veterinary Services Laboratories of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed the detection of H5N1 avian influenza in wild cats.
Periodic detections of Eurasian HPAI H5N1 have been made in carnivorous mammals, including foxes, bobcats, raccoons, and skunks, elsewhere in the US and Canada.
The bobcat was wearing a GPS collar as part of a CDFW population study, which was equipped with a sensor that alerted biologist when the animal stopped moving for an abnormal amount of time. CDFW biologist located the remains and began an investigation into the bobcat's cause of death.
H5N1 avian influenza was first detected in wild birds in California in July 2022. To date, this disease has been detected in wild birds in 44 counties. While the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) also reported detections of H5N1 avian influenza in domestic birds in 18 counties.
Waterfowl and domestic birds are especially vulnerable to the disease. The H5N1 strain currently circulating in the U.S. and Canada has been causing illness and deaths in a wider range of wild bird species than during previous avian influenza outbreaks, affecting birds of prey and scavengers such as turkey vultures and crows.
Predators and carrion of mammals and birds may be exposed to avian influenza viruses when they feed on infected birds. This bobcat was found in an area where HPAI H5N1 had recently been detected in a turkey vulture.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) currently considers the risk of transmission of avian influenza to people to be low, but recommends taking basic protective measures—that is, wearing gloves and masks and washing hands—if contact with wildlife cannot be avoided.
CDFW does not recommend that people handle or harbor sick wild animals. However, sick or dead poultry and pet birds should be reported to CDFA's hotline at (866) 922-2473.
On February 8, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization - WHO?, said that in the