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A pet cat in Oregon died of bird flu after eating raw cat food that tested positive for H5N1. It is the latest worrying case in this year’s ongoing outbreak of bird flu among animals and humans.
Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) announced Death of a cat on Thursday. Death comes suddenly bird flu epidemic This month at Washington’s Wild Felid Advocacy Center. The outbreak killed 20 big cats, including African servals, bobcats and cougars.
The pet cat tested positive for the H5N1 strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, which is genetically identical to viruses found in samples of raw and frozen pet food sold by Northwest Naturals, ODA officials said. Although no human cases related to the pet food have yet emerged, the company has voluntarily recalled its affected products.
“We are confident that this cat contracted the H5N1 virus by eating Northwest Naturals raw and frozen pet food,” ODA State Veterinarian Ryan Scholz said in a dept. statement. “This cat was strictly an indoor cat; she was not exposed to the virus in her environment, and genome sequencing results confirmed that the virus recovered from the raw pet food and the infected cat were an exact match.
Northwest Naturals has voluntarily recalled Northwest Naturals brand 2 lb Feline Turkey Recipe raw and frozen pet food. The company is specifically recalling 2-pound plastic bags that are “Best If Used” on 06/21/2026 B10 and 06/23/2026 B1. Products sold domestically in the United States
H5N1 avian influenza has recently become a serious public health concern due to ongoing outbreaks in wild birds and poultry, as well as the emergence of H5N1 and other avian influenza strains in dairy cows and other mammals this year.
as early DecemberOutbreaks of the H5N1 virus among dairy cows have occurred in 16 states this year. More than 60 people have been infected with H5N1 in the United States documented In 2024, it is most likely to come into contact with infected cows or poultry. Cats are also under fire. This year, there have been several outbreaks of bird flu among both domestic cats and wild big cats in zoos and animal sanctuaries. USA and elsewhere.
Cases of H5N1 in domestic cats are mainly traced to cats drinking contaminated unpasteurized or raw milk. lives on dairy farms or from drinking products sold commercially. A lot of research has shown that raw milk can live transmission path to spread bird flu to humans. There was other recent cases A trace of H5N1 in cats has been traced to improperly sterilized raw food, although this is the first such case detected in the United States.
The silver lining is that no other H5N1 cases have been linked to Oregon cat or pet food (one human H5N1 case was reported in the state this year, though it was not linked to dairy cows or milk). On December 11, the Oregon Department of Agriculture announced that milk from every commercial dairy in the state would be tested as a precaution against the spread of bird flu; The decision comes in the wake of hundreds of confirmed bird flu cases in 16 states, including dairy cattle in Idaho, Nevada and California.
Human cases of H5N1 have been mostly mild this year (although no all of them), some studies have suggested that H5N1 is particularly dangerous to cats. And the longer these viruses are allowed to circulate among cows, cats, humans, and other mammals, the greater the risk of a nightmare, pandemic-ready strain that could quickly spread among humans and cause widespread disease and death.
Oregon health officials note that H5N1 isn’t the only potential danger from eating raw pet food. There is also a high risk that these products contain other bad germs Salmonella, Listeriaand E. coli bacteria.
