At least six Los Angeles County pet cats have died from bird flu, and others are infected with the virus, after consuming either raw pet food or raw milk containing infectious particles of the H5N1 virus .
An unfortunate household of five cats lost two feline members of their family after the cats ate two brands of commercially available raw pet food. As these were strictly indoor cats, their diet of raw pet food was easily identified as a potential route of infection.
All five cats experienced a sudden onset of illness, with four developing severe clinical conditions, while one cat showed only mild clinical signs. Two of the cats’ respiratory symptoms were so severe that the veterinarian considered euthanasia the most humane option.
“One of the severely affected cats was tested and later confirmed to be infected with the H5N1 virus (aka H5 avian influenza),” the statement said. Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) reports.
Testing confirmed that a particular brand of raw food sold at farmers’ markets, “Monarch Raw Pet Food,” contained live H5N1 virus. Anyone who has purchased this product is advised to dispose of it immediately.
Another single-cat household in Los Angeles sought help for an acute onset of illness in their cat, which testing confirmed to be H5N1. This cat, also housed only indoors, had also consumed raw pet food, three different brands of which are still being tested.
Five other cats from two different Los Angeles County households died after drinking raw milk intended for human consumption that was part of a recall due to H5 avian flu contamination. These cats were all infected with the H5N1 virus.
Cats rarely test positive for influenza A, and these are the first confirmed cases of cats with H5N1 in Los Angeles County, but other confirmations of cats infected with H5N1 are also coming from California and other states from the United States after sampling in December.
These small outbreaks are worrying not only because of the distress and grief caused by the loss or illness of each beloved pet, but also because they highlight the risk of mutation and spread of the virus between species.
“Currently, there is no evidence of local spread of H5 avian influenza between cats, cats and humans, or between humans, and the risk to the general public continues to be low,” LACDPH states.
“However, people who come into close contact with animals, particularly wild birds and their droppings, infected cats, infected poultry, or infected dairy cattle or their milk, are at greater risk of exposure.”
The virus typically infects birds and poultry, but in recent months it has been detected in dairy cattle and other animals around the world, increasing the risk to humans.
In the United States, 66 people have been confirmed infected with the H5N1 virus and one person has died.
The advice to anyone with animals in their life is this:
- Avoid feeding animals raw dairy products, raw meat, raw poultry, or raw pet foods (a practice that carries many other risks).
- Keep an eye out for food recalls and share them with other pet owners. You can do this by visiting the FDA’s Recalls, Market Recalls, and Safety Alerts website and filtering the product type by “Animal & Veterinarian.”
- Be aware of the potential symptoms of H5 bird flu in pets. Evaluate whether a sick animal may have been exposed to avian flu by eating raw food products or catching wild birds, especially if the animal exhibits the following symptoms: fever, severe lethargy, loss of appetite, yellowing skin or eyes (signs of liver disease). problems), respiratory symptoms, neurological signs such as circling or loss of balance or seizures, red eyes, strange eye movements, or vision problems.
