Experts urge caution after Oregon cat dies of bird flu
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In the wake of the death of an Oregon house cat from avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, experts are urging caution with what you feed your pets.
Why it matters: The Washington County cat died last month after eating frozen raw cat food made from infected turkey, triggering a recall of the food and concerns from public health officials and animal lovers.
The big picture: Kurt Williams is the director of the Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Oregon State, which he said has been "laser-focused" on bird flu since it began spreading among animals last spring.
- Williams recently switched the food he feeds his own cat, Brenda, from a brand that was minimally processed to one that is fully cooked.
- "If it's canned food and it's made with meat, in my opinion, you ought to be making sure that canned food is cooked, just to be safe," he told Axios.
Context: It's unclear when the infected food, made by Northwest Naturals, was consumed, but state officials said there was no doubt it was the source.
- The cat strictly lived indoors and genome sequencing of the virus matched from the cat to the food, ODA state veterinarian Ryan Scholz said in a written statement.
- Northwest Naturals, which is based in Portland, issued a nationwide recall.
- "Since we received the findings from the Oregon Department of Agriculture, we have been investigating and gathering as much information as we can," the company said on its website. "Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our products and that of our customers' beloved pets."
Zoom out: Williams' lab, which acts as a front-line defense against the spread of zoonotic diseases, has found bird flu in a number of mammals in Oregon.
- The virus has been detected in a red fox, 12 skunks, an American marten and a raccoon, he said.
- The virus has also been found in both commercial and backyard poultry flocks.
- So far, dairy cattle in Oregon have not been infected, though Williams' lab is testing raw milk in the state.
What he's saying: Bird flu has spread among animals previously, Williams said, but the version going around now appears to be more resilient and long-lasting than in the past.
- At least twenty big cats died at a Washington animal sanctuary in Washington last month and tens of thousands of pinnipeds in South America died from the disease in 2023.
- "It portends some very serious stuff for endangered species, certainly for the agricultural sector and it's a very serious concern for poultry production and the dairy industry," he said.