What to Know About Cat Food Recall After Pet Dies of Bird Flu in Oregon

A pet cat in Oregon died of bird flu after eating raw cat food that tested positive for H5N1. This is the latest alarming development in the ongoing spread of bird flu in animals and humans this year.

Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) announcement Cat died on Thursday. Death comes later Bird flu outbreak This month at the Wildlife Advocacy Center in Washington. The outbreak killed 20 big cats, including African servals, bobcats and cougars.

According to ODA officials, the house cat tested positive for the H5N1 strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, or HPAI, which is genetically identical to the virus found in samples of raw and frozen pet food sold by Northwest Natural Company. Although no human cases linked to the pet food have yet emerged, the company has issued a voluntary recall of its affected products.

“We are confident that this cat contracted H5N1 by eating raw and frozen pet food from Northwest Naturals,” said ODA State Veterinarian Ryan Scholz. statement. “This cat was strictly an indoor cat; It was not exposed to the virus in its environment, and results from genome sequencing confirmed that the virus recovered from the raw pet food and infected cat was an exact match.”

Northwest Naturals has issued a voluntary recall of its Northwest Naturals brand 2lb Feline Turkey Recipe raw and frozen pet foods. The company is specifically recalling its 2-pound plastic bags with “best by” dates of 05/21/26 B10 and 06/23/2026 B1. The products were sold nationwide in the United States

H5N1 bird flu has recently become a serious public health concern, thanks to continued 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 H5N1 among dairy cows have occurred in 16 states this year. There have been more than 60 human cases of H5N1 in the United States registered In 2024, most were exposed to infected cattle or poultry. Cats are also caught in the crossfire. This year there have been several outbreaks of bird flu among both domestic and feral cats in zoos and animal sanctuaries. United States of America And elsewhere.

H5N1 cases in domestic cats have mainly been detected when cats drank contaminated pasteurized or raw milk. Living on a dairy farm or from drinking Commercially sold products. A lot of research has indicated that raw milk can Effective transmission route To spread bird flu to humans as well. has been In other recent cases H5N1 in cats found on improperly sterilized raw food, although this appears to be the first such case in the United States

The silver lining is that no other H5N1 cases have been tied to Oregon cats or pet food (a human case of H5N1 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 it would test milk from every commercial dairy in the state as a precautionary measure against the spread of bird flu; The decision comes in the wake of hundreds of confirmed bird flu cases across 16 states, including dairy cattle herds in Idaho, Nevada and California.

Although human cases of H5N1 have been largely mild so far this year (although no all), 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 that a nightmare, pandemic-ready strain will eventually emerge — one that can quickly spread to humans and cause widespread disease and death. may be

H5N1 isn’t the only potential danger that could come from eating raw pet food, Oregon health officials noted. There is a high risk of these products containing other nasty germs as well Salmonella, ListeriaAnd E. coli Bacteria