Avian Influenza in Cats Linked to Raw Pet Food

In Oregon, the "Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) yesterday reported that a house cat has died from H5N1 avian flu after eating raw frozen pet food, which has prompted the voluntary recall of raw pet food that was sold nationwide through distributors in 12 states as well as in British Columbia."

"In a statement, the ODA said the house cat that tested positive for H5N1 died after eating raw food. Tests confirmed a genetic match between a sample from the cat and the virus from Northwest Naturals raw and frozen pet food."

In California, the "LADPH [Los Angeles Dept of  Health] said H5 avian flu from product samples of Monarch Raw Pet Food has been found in an investigation into an illness involving a house cat with a lab-confirmed infection after consuming the product. Four other cats from the same household have presumed H5 infections after eating the same food."  "Officials said an investigation is still under way into fatal illnesses of four cats from a separate household that had drunk raw milk."

"According to Monarch Raw Pet Food's website, the food was sold at farmer's markets in Laguna Niguel, Orange, San Jacinto, and Fountain Valley. The company said its raw meat pet food is made from raw ground chicken composed of muscle, organ meat, skin, fat, and bone and that it is sourced from human-grade free-range poultry raised in the San Joaquin Valley."


https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influenza-bird-flu/california-probe-ties-cats-avian-flu-illness-raw-pet-food
California probe ties cat's avian flu illness to raw pet food
Lisa Schnirring January 2, 2025
Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)

On New Year's Eve the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LADPH) urged pet owners to avoid feeding pets raw food after tests found links between a cat's H5 avian flu illness and raw food sold by Monarch Raw Pet Food at California farmer's markets.

The announcement marks the second raw pet food company tied to related illnesses in cats. Last week, Oregon officials reported similar findings involving one type of frozen raw pet food from Northwest Naturals that was marketed nationally.

In its statement, the LADPH said H5 avian flu from product samples of Monarch Raw Pet Food has been found in an investigation into an illness involving a house cat with a lab-confirmed infection after consuming the product. Four other cats from the same household have presumed H5 infections after eating the same food.

Officials said an investigation is still under way into fatal illnesses of four cats from a separate household that had drunk raw milk.

No human infections have been identified in people who were exposed to sick cats in the two households.

According to Monarch Raw Pet Food's website, the food was sold at farmer's markets in Laguna Niguel, Orange, San Jacinto, and Fountain Valley. The company said its raw meat pet food is made from raw ground chicken composed of muscle, organ meat, skin, fat, and bone and that it is sourced from human-grade free-range poultry raised in the San Joaquin Valley.

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influenza-bird-flu/oregon-avian-flu-cat-death-prompts-nationwide-raw-pet-food-recall

Oregon avian flu cat death prompts nationwide raw pet food recall

Lisa Schnirring  December 27, 2024

 Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)

raw food and cat

kaorinne/iStock

The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) yesterday reported that a house cat has died from H5N1 avian flu after eating raw frozen pet food, which has prompted the voluntary recall of raw pet food that was sold nationwide through distributors in 12 states as well as in British Columbia.

The development is part of a growing number of avian flu infections in cats, including new detections in pets from a second California county.

Genetic match between cat and raw food viruses

In a statement, the ODA said the house cat that tested positive for H5N1 died after eating raw food. Tests confirmed a genetic match between a sample from the cat and the virus from Northwest Naturals raw and frozen pet food.

Ryan Scholz, DVM, Oregon’s state veterinarian, said officials are confident the cat contracted the virus from Northwest Naturals food. “This cat was strictly an indoor cat; it was not exposed to the virus in its environment, and results from the genome sequencing confirmed that the virus recovered from the raw pet food and infected cat were exact matches to each other.”

The recall involves the company’s 2lb Feline Turkey Recipe raw & frozen pet food.  The product was sold nationwide through distributors in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Washington. 

Oregon’s Health Authority is monitoring household members who had contact with the sick cat, and the ODA is urging consumers who bought the recalled food to discard the product.

Virus kills two Santa Barbara County cats

Last week, Los Angeles County issued an animal health alert about H5 in domestic cats following illness reports in cats from two households, one where cats had consumed recalled raw milk and the other involving a cat that was exposed to an unspecified commercially produced raw pet food.

On December 23, the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department announced the confirmation of two H5 avian flu infections in pet cats from two different households. After testing positive for influenza A, a rare occurrence in cats, the cats experienced severe neurological symptoms and died from their infections.

The source of infection is still under investigation.

“Currently, there is no evidence of local cat-to-cat, cat-to-human or human-to-human spread of H5 bird flu, and the risk to the general public continues to be low,” the health department said. It added that people who have close contact with wild birds or their feces, infected cats, dairy cows or raw milk, sick poultry, and infected cats may have a higher risk of exposure.