SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. - On Monday, the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department confirmed two cases of H5N1 bird flu in two domesticated cats in the county.

The source of the infections are currently under investigation shared the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department in a press release Monday issued in both English and Spanish.

The cats came from two different homes and, after testing positive for influenza A which is rare in felines, the cats developed neurological illness and eventually died from the virus detailed the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department.

There is no evidence of local cat-to-cat, cat-to-human, and/or human-to-human spread of H5 bird flu and the risk to the general public remains low explained the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department.

Cats can be exposed to H5 bird flu by consuming infected birds or other animals, are in environments contaminated by the virus, and consuming unpasteurized milk from infected dairy cattle detailed the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department.

While transmission of H5 bird flu virus from mammal to mammal can occur, there have been no known cases of H5 bird flu transmitted from cats to humans during this nationwide outbreak stated the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department.

Cats infected with H5 bird flu may develop severe illness, including fever and neurological symptoms, that can progress rapidly shared the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department.

According to the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department, people who come into close contact with wild birds, wild bird feces, infected cats, infected poultry, infected cattle or their milk, have a higher risk of exposure.

How to Reduce Risk of Exposure

For questions about symptoms or potential exposure, you can call the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department Diseases Control phone line at 805-681-5280 or email the health agency at [email protected].