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A cat in Oregon died from bird flu after eating raw cat food that tested positive for H5N1. It is the latest worrying development in the ongoing spread of bird flu between animals and humans this year.
The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) announced the death of the cat on Thursday. Death comes after a bird flu epidemic at the Wild Felid Advocacy Center in Washington this month. The fire killed 20 big cats, including African servals, bobcats and pumas.
According to ODA officials, the house cat tested positive for an H5N1 strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, which was genetically identical to viruses found in samples of raw and frozen pet food sold by the company Northwest Naturals. While no human cases have emerged linked to the animal feed, the company has issued a voluntary recall of its affected products.
“We are confident that this cat contracted H5N1 by eating Northwest Naturals raw and frozen pet food,” ODA state veterinarian Ryan Scholz said in a department statement. declaration. “This cat was strictly an indoor cat; it was not exposed to the virus in its environment, and the results of the genome sequence confirmed that the virus recovered from raw pet food and the infected cat they were exact matches to each other.”
Northwest Naturals has issued a voluntary recall of its brand Northwest Naturals 2lb Feline Turkey Recipe raw & frozen pet food. The company is specifically recalling its 2-pound plastic bags with “Best if used by” dates of 5/21/26 B10 and 6/23/2026 B1. The products were sold nationwide in the United States
H5N1 avian influenza has become a serious public health concern recently, thanks to continued outbreaks in wild birds and poultry, and the emergence of H5N1 and other avian influenza strains in dairy cattle and other mammals this year.
Ace of beginning of DecemberOutbreaks of H5N1 among dairy cows have occurred in 16 states this year. More than 60 human cases of H5N1 in the United States have occurred documented in 2024, most linked to contact with infected cattle or poultry. Cats, too, have been caught in the crossfire. There have been several outbreaks of bird flu among domestic cats and wild big cats in zoos and animal sanctuaries this year, in the United States and elsewhere.
H5N1 cases in domestic cats are largely traced to cats drinking contaminated unpasteurized, or raw, milk, either while live on dairy farms or to drink products sold in commerce. A lot of research has indicated that raw milk can be a viable transmission route to spread avian influenza to humans as well. They have been there other recent cases of H5N1 in cats traced to improperly sterilized raw food, although this appears to be the first such case detected in the United States.
The silver lining is that no other H5N1 cases have been linked to Oregon cats or pet food (one human case of H5N1 has been reported in the state this year, although no was not connected with dairy cows or milk). On December 11, the Oregon Department of Agriculture announced that it will test milk from every commercial dairy in the state as a precaution against the spread of bird flu; this decision came in the wake of hundreds of confirmed cases of bird flu in 16 states, including dairy farms in Idaho, Nevada and California.
While human cases of H5N1 this year have been largely mild so far (though no everyone), some research has suggested that H5N1 is particularly dangerous for cats. And the longer these viruses are allowed to circulate among cows, cats, humans and other mammals, the greater the risk that a nightmare, pandemic-ready strain will eventually emerge — one that can quickly spread among humans. and cause widespread disease and death.
H5N1 isn’t the only potential danger that could come from eating raw pet food, Oregon health officials note. These products also have a higher risk of containing other nasty germs, such as Salmonella, Listeriaand E. coli bacteria.
