San Jose, Calif. — Bird flu isn’t just affecting chickens and cows; it’s hitting pet cats.

Health authorities say the threat of infection for people remained low even amid the spread of H5N1 virus among birds and cattle nationally.

But bird flu can also infect other animals — such as dairy cows, rats, and cats — after coming into contact with wild birds or poultry. The disease has been detected in all 50 states, causing outbreaks among commercial poultry and backyard flocks, as well as U.S. dairy cows, according to surveillance data.