Pet food recalls linked to avian influenza contamination: What to know

Northwest Naturals, a pet food company, is recalling a line of raw turkey pet foods after a cat died from bird flu linked to the product.

In a press release This week, the Oregon-based company said its 2-pound Feline Turkey Recipe frozen pet food tested positive for the avian influenza virus.

The recall highlights growing concerns about the potential spread of bird flu between animals and humans, as recent cases have been reported in both cats and humans. Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the risk to the general public remains low.

The voluntary recall applies to plastic bags with “best if used” dates of 05/21/26 and 06/23/2026. The product was distributed through several retailers in the United States and British Columbia.

Oregon Department of Agriculture too Issue a statement Regarding the recall, she noted that tests confirmed that a domestic cat was infected with the H5N1 virus strain and died after consuming the product.

“We are confident that this cat became infected with the H5N1 virus by eating Northwest Naturals raw and frozen pet food,” Ryan Schulz, a veterinarian with the Oregon Department of Agriculture, said in a statement. “This cat was an indoor cat; it had not been exposed to the virus in its environment, and the genome sequencing results confirmed that the virus recovered from the raw pet food and the infected cat were an exact match to each other.”

Pet owners who have purchased the product are advised to dispose of it immediately and contact the company for a refund.

This recall comes on the heels of news from the CDC last week to be sure The first severe human case of avian influenza in the United States is in Louisiana, linked to exposure to sick birds in backyard flocks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported two additional human cases: an adult in Missouri in September and a child in California in November, both of whom had no apparent exposure to sick animals.

the Bird flu It has also been linked to a recent recall of raw milk in California that tested positive for the virus. Two cats that consumed the milk and later died were found to be infected with bird flu.

For more information about the Northwest Naturals recall, consumers can contact the company at [email protected] or 866-637-1872.