Cat food that caused bird-flu death of Oregon pet was distributed in B.C.: officials

Northwest Naturals has recalled cat food after it was found to have been contaminated with bird flu. The product was distributed in British Columbia. (Image credit: nw-naturals.net)

Pet food contaminated with bird flu – which killed a house cat in Oregon – was distributed and sold in British Columbia, according to officials south of the border.

Northwest Naturals brand 2lb Feline Turkey Recipe raw frozen pet food has been recalled by the company and anyone who purchased it is advised to get rid of it immediately.

The Oregon Department of Agriculture issued a notice about the recall, saying testing confirmed that the same H5N1 strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza that was found in the food was determined to have infected the cat.

“This cat was strictly an indoor cat; it was not exposed to the virus in its environment, and results from the genome sequencing confirmed that the virus recovered from the raw pet food and infected cat were exact matches to each other,” Dr. Ryan Scholz, the state veterinarian with the department said.

No human cases have been linked to the pet food, but all of the humans in the household where the cat died are being monitored for symptoms.

In the U.S., the product was sold through distributors in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Washington state.

Meanwhile, Canada's chief public health officer says bird flu is among her top concerns heading into 2025.

Dr. Theresa Tam says farm workers and people who keep backyard birds should wear personal protective equipment.

Avian flu has been on the rise globally and has devastated poultry farms in Canada – particularly in B.C.'s Fraser Valley.

Canada's first human case was a teen in that region who became critically ill. The source of the teen's infection was never identified.