Oregon has issued a voluntary recall of fresh and frozen cat food after a cat death from bird flu was linked to the product, state officials said.
Northwest Naturals has directed customers of its Feline Turkey Recipe fresh frozen pet food to throw away the product if its sell-by date falls between May 21, 2026 and June 23, 2026 .
The company said in a statement: Website A batch of cat food sold across the United States has tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), commonly known as avian influenza.
“Consumption of raw or uncooked pet food contaminated with HPAI can cause illness in animals. To date, one case of illness in domestic cats has been reported related to this issue.” the company said.
Oregon Department of Agriculture Notice issued It said tests showed a genetic match between the virus in the fresh and frozen pet food and the infected cats.
“We believe this cat contracted H5N1 from eating Northwest Naturals raw frozen pet food,” said ODA State Veterinarian Dr. Ryan Scholz.
“This cat was strictly an indoor cat. It had not been exposed to the virus in the environment, and genome sequencing confirmed that the virus recovered from raw pet food was an exact match between the infected cat. ” Scholz added.
The Oregon Health Authority said there have been no cases of human HPAI infection associated with this incident so far, and the risk of human HPAI infection remains low in the state.
But authorities also urge people and their pets to avoid consuming raw or undercooked meat products, raw dairy products, limit contact with sick or dead animals, and avoid pets and poultry. It was advised to keep them away from wild waterfowl.
Dozens of people have been infected with the H5N1 virus across the United States, with the first “severe” case reported in Louisiana 10 days ago. California declared a state of emergency as infections spread among livestock and began to affect the U.S. food supply.
On Tuesday, 20 exotic cats, including a Bengal tiger, four cougars, one lynx and four bobcats, were reported to have died from avian influenza at an animal sanctuary in Shelton, Washington.
Last week, Los Angeles health officials confirmed that two other cats who died after drinking raw milk associated with the Fresno, Calif., dairy farm Raw Farm also appeared to have been infected with bird flu. They announced that they are investigating three domestic cats. Last month, raw milk and cream products were subject to a recall.
H5N1 infections in cats are alarming to virus experts. discovered in recent research Cat cells allow viruses to mix and mutate, and could be the bridge that allows H5N1 avian influenza to mutate and jump to humans.
A study published in the journal Emerging Microbes & Infections found that cats, like pigs, have cell receptors that function as “mixing vessels for reclassifying avian and mammalian influenza viruses.” It turned out.
Additionally, cats that recently died from H5N1 avian influenza were found to have “unique mutations” that suggest “possible adaptation to the virus.”
The authors of the University of Pittsburgh report said, “The continued exposure, viral circulation, and adaptation of H5N1 viruses in cats raises serious concerns for infection and public health.”
They added that because cats frequently interact with humans and other species, they could “act as a bridge for interspecies transmission of the H5N1 virus.”
at the Maryland School of Public Health in April. warned A review of the scientific literature suggests that domestic cats can become infected with avian influenza and transmit it to humans and should be monitored.
“As companion animals, domestic cats provide a potential route for the transmission of avian influenza viruses to humans,” said Kristen Coleman, an assistant professor at the university.
