A CDC report on bird flu shows potential transmission of bird flu between exposed dairy workers and indoor pet cats. The report also provides a window into the lack of reporting and cooperation at dairy farms and by dairy workers.

Cats in two separate households died in May after developing severe illnesses that were confirmed as the Type A H5N1 bird virus found in U.S. dairy herds, investigators reported. Both were indoor-only cats that had no exposure to infected cattle or birds and didn’t consume raw milk.

The symptoms of the Bird Flu in cats include loss of appetite, lethargy, and fever, followed by neurologic signs (incoordination, circling, tremors, seizures, or blindness), severe depression, heavy discharge from the nose and eyes, and other respiratory signs such as rapid or difficulty breathing, sneezing or coughing.