One more US company recalls raw pet food as bird flu continues to infect cats – Firstpost

A second raw pet food manufacturing company has recalled products in the US after cats from two households tested positive for bird flu in Oregon for eating tainted meat earlier this month.

Earlier this week, two more cats contracted H5N1 in Washington after eating pet food from the same brand, Wild Coast Raw. One of the cats was euthanised while the other one remains in veterinary care.

H5N1 is among several pathogens linked to raw pet food, alongside salmonella, E. coli, campylobacter, listeria, and toxoplasmosis.

The US has reported nearly 100 cases of bird flu in domesticated cats that have proven fatal, and there is some evidence of cats transmitting the virus to humans. Last month, two people were hospitalized in Wyoming and Ohio after getting infected with avian influenza.

Steve Valeika, a veterinarian told The Guardian ways to keep pets out of danger: keep cats indoors and prevent dogs from hunting or interacting with birds, including those in ponds and lakes visited by migratory species. Mice and rats near dairy and poultry farms have also tested positive for H5N1.

Bird flu has infected nearly 70 people in the US since April last year and killed one person. It has wiped out about 159 million chickens, turkeys and other birds nationwide since the outbreak began in poultry in 2022. US
egg prices have soared to record highs, imperilling Trump’s pledges to bring down costs for Americans.

Experts warn that as the virus continues to circulate widely among mammals and birds, it could eventually mix with seasonal influenza, potentially mutating into a strain capable of efficient human-to-human transmission.

A study published earlier this week by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that people can transmit bird flu to their domestic cats, with fatal consequences.

Meanwhile, in India, three cats were found to have bird flu in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara, prompting the closure of a market and culling of over 700 chickens to prevent the risk of the infection spreading.

With inputs from agencies