After a house cat died from eating raw frozen pet food contaminated with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 (HPAI H5N1), the pet food manufacturer issued a voluntary recall, according to the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA).
The cat had been fed Northwest Naturals 2-pound (lb.) Turkey Recipe raw and frozen pet food. Testing conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories (USDA’s NVSL) and the Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (ODVL) at Oregon State University revealed HPAI H5N1 in the pet food, which genetically matched the clinical isolate from the sickened cat.
Northwest Naturals, based in Portland, Oregon, has voluntary recalled its 2 lb. Feline Turkey Recipe raw and frozen pet food. The recalled product is packaged in 2 lb. plastic bags with “Best if Used By” dates of “05/21/26 B10” and “06/23/2026 B1.” The product was distributed to Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Washington, as well as in British Columbia, Canada.
The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and local public health officials are monitoring household members who had contact with the cat for flu symptoms. To date, no human cases of HPAI have been linked to this incident.
ODA is encouraging people not to eat or feed their pets raw or undercooked meat products, or raw dairy.