The South Korean Ministry of Agriculture revealed that authorities have placed a cat shelter in Seoul under quarantine after discovering two cats infected with the H5N1 strain of bird flu.
The ministry noted that no human cases of this highly contagious disease have been reported in the country.
In a statement released yesterday, it was mentioned that this is the first time since 2016 that bird flu has been detected in a cat in the country.
According to the Yonhap News Agency, the two infected cats were among 38 cats that died recently at the shelter.
The World Health Organization states that the risk posed by the virus to humans remains low, but it has indicated that reports related to infections among mammals need to be "monitored closely."
This month, three UN agencies warned that the ongoing increase in bird flu outbreaks worldwide raises concerns that the virus may adapt to infect humans more easily, urging countries to enhance disease surveillance and improve hygiene in poultry farms.
