Golke Anna, Dzieciątkowski Tomasz, Szaluś-Jordanow Olga, Czopowicz Michał, Witkowski Lucjan, Żychska Monika, Domańska Ewa, Jańczak Dawid, Nalbert Tomasz, Lesceu Stephanie, Paszkowska Marzena, Giergielewicz Justyna, Frymus Tadeusz
Department of Preclinical Sciences, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW, Ciszewskiego 8, 02-786 Warsaw, Poland.
Chair and Department of Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Warsaw, Chałubińskiego 5, 02-004 Warsaw, Poland.
Viruses. 2025 Jun 16;17(6):855. doi: 10.3390/v17060855.
Recently, cats have emerged as potential incidental hosts for avian and human influenza A viruses (IAVs), including the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus. Following an unprecedented outbreak of H5N1 HPAI in cats in Poland in June 2023, we conducted a cross-sectional epidemiological study to assess the seroprevalence of IAV, especially H5Nx, infections in domestic cats. Eight hundred thirty-five serum samples collected in June 2023 were tested using a competitive ELISA for antibodies to IAV nucleoprotein. Positive or doubtful samples were further screened for H5-specific antibodies. The overall seropositivity for IAV was 8.5% (CI 95%: 6.8%, 10.6%; 71/835 cats), and 23/68 IAV-seropositive cats (33.8%) were also seropositive for H5 antigen. Multivariable analysis identified young age (≤8 years) and male sex as significant risk factors for H5 seropositivity, while non-H5-IAV seropositivity was more common in cats aged ≥12 years. These findings suggest different exposure pathways and host risk profiles for H5 and non-H5 IAVs and underscore the importance of enhanced surveillance in cats, particularly in regions affected by HPAI outbreaks. Given the susceptibility of cats to both avian and human IAVs, including subclinical infections, there is a theoretical risk for viral reassortment. Preventive measures, including vaccinating humans and restricting outdoor access for cats, should be considered in endemic areas.
最近，猫已成为甲型禽流感病毒（IAV）潜在的偶然宿主，包括高致病性禽流感（HPAI）H5N1病毒。在2023年6月波兰猫群中发生前所未有的H5N1 HPAI疫情后，我们开展了一项横断面流行病学研究，以评估家猫中IAV感染，尤其是H5Nx感染的血清流行率。使用竞争性ELISA检测2023年6月采集的835份血清样本中针对IAV核蛋白的抗体。对阳性或可疑样本进一步筛查H5特异性抗体。IAV的总体血清阳性率为8.5%（95%CI：6.8%，10.6%；71/835只猫），68只IAV血清阳性猫中有23只（33.8%）H5抗原也呈血清阳性。多变量分析确定年轻（≤8岁）和雄性是H5血清阳性的重要危险因素，而≥12岁的猫中，非H5-IAV血清阳性更为常见。这些发现表明H5和非H5 IAVs存在不同的暴露途径和宿主风险特征，并强调加强对猫的监测的重要性，特别是在受HPAI疫情影响的地区。鉴于猫对禽流感和人流感病毒均易感，包括亚临床感染，存在病毒重组的理论风险。在流行地区应考虑采取预防措施，包括给人类接种疫苗和限制猫外出。
