US cat died after consuming avian-influenza-contaminated uncooked pet meals

One cat caught extremely pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus and subsequently died after consuming Northwest Naturals model 2lb Feline Turkey Recipe uncooked frozen pet meals. Portland, Oregon-based Northwest Naturals recalled one batch of this product after it examined constructive for HPAI. As of Dec. 24, no human circumstances of HPAI have been linked to this incident.

Testing performed by the U.S. Division of Agriculture’s (USDA) Nationwide Veterinary Providers Laboratories (NVSL) and the Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (ODVL) at Oregon State College confirmed {that a} home cat contracted H5N1 and died after consuming the uncooked frozen pet meals.

“We’re assured that this cat contracted H5N1 by consuming the Northwest Naturals uncooked and frozen pet meals,” ODA State Veterinarian Dr. Ryan Scholz stated in a press launch. “This cat was strictly an indoor cat; it was not uncovered to the virus in its setting, and outcomes from the genome sequencing confirmed that the virus recovered from the uncooked pet meals and contaminated cat have been actual matches to one another.”

The Oregon Well being Authority (OHA) and native public well being officers are monitoring family members who had contact with the cat for flu signs.

The recalled product is packaged in 2-pound plastic luggage with “Greatest if utilized by” dates of 05/21/26 B10 and 06/23/2026 B1. The product was bought by distributors in AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, MD, MI, MN, PA, RI and WA in the US, and British Columbia in Canada.

This recall is being performed in cooperation with the Oregon Division of Agriculture, Salem, Oregon.

38 cats died after consuming bird-flu-tainted cat meals in 2023

The case in Oregon bears similarities to 1 in South Korea by which 38 out of 40 contaminated cats died inside a month. That 2023 HPAI outbreak occurred in shelter cats that had all been saved indoors, so it appeared unlikely that wild birds had unfold the pathogen to the cats. As an alternative, the virus could have unfold to the cats by their meals. Investigators with South Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Meals and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) detected influenza A(H5N1) virus in cat meals from one of many shelters. The cat meals have been Balanced Duck and Balanced Rooster manufactured by Nature’s Uncooked at its facility in Gimpo, west of Seoul. The Ministry said that the corporate had did not observe vital sterilization steps since Could 25 resulting from an tools malfunction. MAFRA officers then ordered the recall of all cat meals batches thought of vulnerable to harboring the virus.

A staff of researchers examined this outbreak and printed a abstract in Nature Communications, together with options for controlling future cross-species illness transmission.

“The influenza A(H5N1) outbreaks within the cat shelters in South Korea, together with an growing variety of reviews of influenza A(H5N1) an infection in mammals, recommend the necessity to improve the effectiveness of infectious illness surveillance and prevention in any settings the place a gaggle of probably vulnerable animals are saved in shut contact,” they wrote. “This is especially necessary for teams of animals that usually usually are not lined by regulatory efforts aimed toward sustaining or bettering animal well being and welfare requirements. These animal teams couldn’t solely present environments for cross-species viral transmission, selling zoonotic danger, however may additionally serve as sentinels for detecting such occasions, thereby providing alternatives to assess after which mitigate such danger.”

FDA affords pointers to scale back HPAI danger in cats, emphasizes pet meals security

The U.S. Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) supplied details about methods to scale back the chance to pets of contracting H5N1. The company issued suggestions for secure feeding practices after investigations revealed hyperlinks between HPAI infections in felines and the consumption of contaminated or improperly processed meals merchandise.

Latest reviews have proven that home and wild cats, together with species reminiscent of tigers, mountain lions and lynx, are extremely delicate to HPAI. There have been a number of latest investigations indicating transmission of HPAI to cats by meals, most frequently unpasteurized milk or uncooked or undercooked meats. Cats shouldn’t be fed any merchandise from affected farms that haven’t been completely cooked or pasteurized to kill the virus. Cats must also be saved from searching and consuming wild birds. 

The Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) highlighted a regarding case in its July 2024 report. Home cats on a dairy farm contracted HPAI after being fed unpasteurized milk from cows contaminated with the virus. The cats displayed neurological signs and later died from systemic influenza infections. 

The U.S. Division of Agriculture (USDA) is actively monitoring HPAI in wild mammals, together with feral and home cats, by its surveillance and testing program. Whereas canines are much less vulnerable to the virus, the FDA advises that related precautions be taken for canines to mitigate danger.

Avian influenza or hen flu naturally spreads amongst wild aquatic birds worldwide and might infect home poultry and different hen and animal species, in keeping with the World Well being Group. Extremely pathogenic avian influenza is a subtype of the virus. It could trigger extreme sickness and excessive mortality charges in home poultry and wild birds. The viruses can devastate poultry industries and have financial repercussions resulting from commerce restrictions. Some varieties, together with H5N1, can cross species obstacles and should trigger extreme diseases in mammals.