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It’s fair to say that raw pet foods have clearly been source of H5N1 influenza infections in cats, some of which have been fatal – even though sometimes it’s impossible to make a definitive link between the food and infection because of when and how the infection occurred, and what could or could not be tested in timely manner. Sometimes raw pet food companies and their supporters use that missing link as a way to claim that there’s no risk or that the risk is overblown. Confusing (and let’s just say “opportunistic”) communication around test results also adds to consumer confusion – for example, understanding the meaning of “non-negative” test results.

The two most common ways in which the term “non-negative” is used with regard to test results are:

  1. Borderline positive: The test result was not quite strong enough to say it’s positive, but there’s a strong enough signal to make us very suspicious that there’s something there (i.e. the virus of interest). Since we can’t call it a positive or a negative, “non-negative” indicates that the sample could be positive, but we can’t say for sure.
  2. Reportable disease that requires government laboratory confirmation: For some diseases (usually really important ones, like reportable diseases), only the government lab gets to have the final say on the test result. If another diagnostic lab gets a “positive” result (even if it’s a really clear positive), they’re only allowed to call it “non-negative” until the result is confirmed by the government lab. That might mean running the same test, a similar test, or a complementary test. Sometimes, that confirmatory test might actually be less sensitive (i.e. less able to detect a positive), but is nonetheless the test used to provide the definitive answer to determine what response is required.

When we were doing our SARS-CoV-2 surveillance of pets in households with people with COVID-19, we had a few results that were positive/non-negative in our lab but were very close to the cut-off level, and were ultimately just below the cut-off at the federal lab. Those had to be called negative, even though we were pretty confident the virus was present in those animals, such as when we had a clearly positive dog (confirmed by the federal lab) and a non-negative dog in the same household. Odds are very high that the second dog with the borderline result was just shedding less virus than the first dog. But I digress…

Savage Cat Food has issued a recall of some of its raw chicken diets (lot code/best by date 11152026) following infections that were linked to the food and “non-negative” test results for H5N1 flu. . The food was distributed to California, Colorado, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington (not Canada).

  • In February, the company was made aware of a cat in Colorado that developed H5N1 flu and that had been fed their food. The cat fortunately recovered.
  • Sealed packages of the food were sent to the Colorado State University Laboratory and were tested “non-negative” by PCR for H5N1 flu.
  • A sample was then sent to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa for virus isolation testing, which was negative. However, virus isolation is less sensitive than PCR, so PCR positive/virus isolation negative results can definitely occur with a contaminated sample, especially as flu virus is likely to die over time sitting in the food (virus isolation requires the virus to still be viable, whereas PCR can detect “dead” virus).
  • While this was being done, the manufacturer contacted retailers to have them pull the product from shelves.
  • A week after the negative virus isolation result was obtained, the company got a report of another cat with H5N1 flu that had eaten the same lot of food – in New York.

Some people will point to this and say “there’s no definitive proof” that the cats were infected by eating the food. Yes, that’s true, it’s not definitive, but it’s still solid. If they are able to sequence virus from both cats (meaning they find the same virus in two cats from two different states that were fed the same diet that had a PCR positive result) that makes it an even more solid presumptive link. If they are testing other food samples and get a positive, or even just more non-negatives, it reinforces the link further. If they are able to sequence the same virus from the food as they found in the cats, that would essentially be a slam-dunk.

The pet food company has a pretty straightforward influenza alert link on the home page of their website. They’re not saying the food was contaminated, since they indicate it tested negative at the Ames lab, but they are also (unlike some others) not trying to downplay the risk or deflect, so I give them credit for their response. (That said, I still take issue with various statements in their their general FAQ about food safety.)

This company does not high pressure pasteurize their diets. On with website, they say “No, our cat food is not subjected to High Pressure Processing (HPP). HPP can damage helpful bacteria and can change the taste and texture of foods, often times making it unappealing for cats.” That’s likely a big risk factor for why the food is contaminated and why these cats got sick. High pressure pasteurization isn’t perfect, but it’s a good tool to reduce contamination and (despite what the website says) there’s no real argument not to high pressure pasteurize raw pet food, especially high risk poultry-based diets.

The response of raw pet food companies to H5N1 influenza has been really variable.

  • Some have taken it seriously, talked about their risk reduction plans, and not tried to deflect.
  • At least one has started cooking their poultry diets.
  • Some have deflected and tried to downplay any risks.
  • Some are not saying anything.

Hopefully more of these companies are exploring high pressure pasteurization as a risk reduction (though still not risk elimination) method for customers who are still intent on feeding raw diets to their pets.

The Washington State Department of Agriculture and the Oregon Department of Agriculture have issued a public health alert because of H5N1 influenza virus contamination of another brand of raw pet food, following the deaths of two more indoor cats from separate households linked to consumption of the pet food.

Details are sparse, but both cats were euthanized due to severe disease from H5N1 influenza. Authorities tested the cats and the food from open containers in the household as well as unopened food samples, and found H5N1 flu virus in all of them. This shows that the food was truly contaminated at the source, and removes the potential that the food got contaminated in the household by the cats or some other source. (In a previous raw food-associated cluster of H5N1 flu infections in cats, the manufacturer of the implicated food tried to suggest the diet was contaminated in the household and was not the source of the virus, which was a very weak argument, and definitely not the case here based on the additional testing).

The recall involves Wild Coast LLC Boneless Free Range Chicken Formula, lots 22660 and 22664, Best Buy day 12/25. However, given that we have multiple instances of fatal raw poultry associated H5N1 infections in cats from multiple companies, the risk probably extends beyond this product.

To avoid the risk of H5N1 influenza from raw pet foods:

  • If raw diets are to be fed, use a non-poultry based diet, and choose one that’s high pressure pasteurized to reduce (though it will not eliminate) the risk.

Image from https://agr.wa.gov/lookuptypes/recallfile/131

The more H5N1 influenza continues to circulate in wild and domestic birds around the world, including here in North America, the more we have to be concerned about exposure of pets to H5N1 influenza through raw food diets. Recent documented infections in cats fed raw meat from infected birds have highlighted these concerns. For more information on the risks of H5N1 influenza from raw diets for pets and associated risk reduction measures, check out the latest quick podcast on Worms&GermsPod.

Find all our podcasts on most major podcast directories, or access them here directly through your web browser.

The FDA has issued a directive to pet food producers to ensure that their food safety plans address H5N1 influenza contamination issues. It’s in response to multiple cases of H5N1 avian influenza in domestic and wild cats fed contaminated raw diets containing poultry. Infection was fatal in many of these cats, and this also puts humans at risk of exposure from both the infected cats and handling the contaminated diets. The severity of disease in cats and the potential public health concerns with H5N1 flu in animals means action is needed to reduce the risk of infections. The FDA notice is directed at any manufacturers that use raw poultry or beef ingredients, but is most relevant for manufacturers of raw diets, since cooking during canned or dry diet production will kill influenza virus before it reaches the consumer or pet. Here’s what the first part of the notice says:

  • “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has determined that it is necessary for manufacturers of cat and dog foods who are covered by the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act Preventive Controls for Animal Food (PCAF) rule and using uncooked or unpasteurized materials derived from poultry or cattle (e.g., uncooked meat, unpasteurized milk or unpasteurized eggs) to reanalyze their food safety plans to include Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza virus (specifically H5N1) as a known or reasonably foreseeable hazard. Furthermore, the FDA is issuing this update to ensure that cat and dog food manufacturers are aware of information about the new H5N1 hazard associated with their pet food products, which is an additional reason that manufacturers must conduct a reanalysis of their food safety plans.”

Manufacturers covered under rule mentioned in the notice have a standard requirement to reassess their food safety plan when the FDA determines there’s a need to respond to a new hazard, as they have here.  The notice also encourages producers to minimize H5N1 transmission through practices such as “… seeking ingredients from flocks or herds that are healthy, and taking processing steps, such as heat treatment, that are capable of inactivating viruses.” 

Will the FDA notice achieve much?

That’s a tough question. It won’t likely have an immediate direct impact, as it’s reliant on the companies taking effective action themselves. It’s a directive to consider changing their food safety plans, not a directive to actually do something specific to mitigate risk. Presumably, that’s because there are limits to what the FDA can require; getting into very granular actions (e.g. “you have to do this specific thing”) is likely beyond what the FDA can or would do in a situation like this. The impact will vary between manufacturers, but even if it won’t make everyone do something useful, it should help.

The good, more mainstream raw diet manufacturers are already likely taking the necessary steps to prevent H5N1 flu contamination in their products. Most of these companies use high pressure pasteurization (HPP), which is a useful risk reduction step (although it’s not guaranteed to eliminate risk of all pathogens). I assume the first cases of H5N1 in cats from raw diets already sparked a review of what they are doing and what they can do to reduce the risk of using contaminated meat in the first place.

The all-too-common dodgy raw diet producers usually ignore (or deny-and-deflect) infectious disease issues with their products, and some have been doing the same with H5N1 flu. They will likely continue to do so. Their “reanalysis” might be akin to “yep, we thought about it and we’re good. Go away.”

As is typical, the manufacturers in the middle might be the group where this could have the most potential impact. They may not know much about the issue or understand how serious it is. They also may be at a loss about what they can and should do to mitigate the risk. They probably don’t have much expertise in house to be proactive about emerging issues, and a notice like this helps to ensure it’s on their radar, emphasize the importance, raise some liability concerns (that might be the biggest driver of action for some – getting sued is a big motivator), force at least some consideration of the problem, and point them in the right direction in terms of what to do. It might also be another nudge to introduce better overall practices like high pressure pasteurization and better supply management. 

What else can be done to reduce the risk of pets getting H5N1 flu from raw diets?

It would be nice to have more consumer-facing education about the risks and how to reduce them to help help consumers protect themselves. It could also help drive better manufacturing practices, if educated consumers start spending their pet food dollars on products produced in safer ways. 

What can people do about the risk of H5N1 flu if they are adamant they want to feed a raw diet to their pet(s)?

  • Avoid poultry-based diets (and probably also beef in the US).
  • Use diets that are high-pressure pasteurized, and ask companies about if how the effectiveness of their HPP method is tested (not all HPP is equally effective).
  • Ask companies about their food safety plan and what pathogens they consider in their plan.
  • Use good food handling practices in the home to avoid cross-contamination of human food and other surfaces.
  • Report any illnesses in pets (or people) that might be linked to the diet.

For more general information about food safety and raw diets, check out the Worms & Germs and OAHN Raw Meat Diets infosheet, available on the Worms & Germs Resources – Pets page.

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Blue Ridge Beef has (again) recalled a diet because of Salmonella contamination – this time a kitten diet. As is often the case, the issue was identified after a pet that was fed the diet got sick. This follows a recall of a puppy diet from the same company in December for Salmonella contamination was identified after a litter of puppies got sick that was identified after a litter of puppies got sick. (It seems like a bit of a “stealthy” recall too, as I see no information on the company’s website about it.) Of note, the company states on its website that its diets are high pressure-pasteurized.

A recall of raw pet food for Salmonella isn’t surprising. Bacterial contamination rates in these diets are high, and recalls are only the tip of that iceberg. Recalls of high pressure-pasteurized diets are more noteworthy but unfortunately are also far from rare.

High pressure pasteurization (HPP) is a process used to reduce pathogen burdens in raw food. It should markedly reduce (or perhaps sometimes even eliminate) bacteria like Salmonella and viruses like influenza. However, as we repeatedly see in situations like this, contamination can still occur. Whether that’s because of an inadequate method for HPP or post-processing contamination is unclear, but it probably relates to using methods that are not adequately tested and validated for the specific food matrix.

These repeated recalls raise a number of issues. One is the standard concern about contamination of these diets with bacteria like Salmonella, that cause disease in dogs and cats, and sometimes owners who have contact with the diets or animals. More recently, we now also have important concerns about H5N1 avian influenza virus contamination of raw meat diets for pets, as multiple cat deaths have been linked to consumption of such raw diets (including diets that were high pressure-pasteurized).

I recommend not feeding raw diets to pets. We cook food for people to kill things that can hurt us, and the same concept applies to pet food. If someone insists on feeding a raw diet, I recommend a high pressure-pasteurized diet to help reduce the risks, but this certainly does not eliminate the risks. Pet owners need to be aware that (despite all the claims on various companies’ websites) there are still infectious disease risks to pets and people with these diets, and safe food handling practices in the home are critical to reduce the risks to people in particular.

Since there’s no health benefit from raw diets beyond equivalent cooked diets, it’s best to go with a cooked diet. Post-cooking cross-contamination of food can also still occur, so while they still aren’t zero risk, they are much lower risk than raw diets.

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Issues with raw diets and H5N1 influenza risk in cats (and dogs) have gotten a lot of attention in the last week or two. Like most emerging disease situations, it’s still fluid, and we’re learning more as time goes on, but we know enough at this point to at least make some basic assessments and recommendations. Here’s my current take on it.

What are the concerns with H5N1 influenza and raw diets for pets?

The unprecedented pandemic of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has ongoing for more than 2 years. Massive numbers of wild birds have been affected around the world. Spillover into domestic animals is an ever-present risk where this virus is circulating in wild birds, with domestic poultry being the most severely affected. Millions of domestic poultry have died or been depopulated due to infection, and spillover infections have also occurred in mammals, including many cats and at least one dog.

Recently, H5N1 influenza infection has been linked to consumption of contaminated raw meat diets in at least two cats. It’s been well established for some time that ingestion of infected birds can lead to H5N1 influenza infection in cats, based on earlier studies and field observations. It is therefore unsurprising that infections could occur if infected poultry makes its way into raw diets fed to cats, and unfortunately the infection in cats is often fatal.  The risk to dogs is less clear, but infection was reported in one dog that died shortly after close contact (chewing on) an infected bird. Dogs may be less susceptible to H5N1 influenza than cats, but they are still susceptible and infection can have dire consequences, so the same concepts apply to both species.

What types of raw diets for pets pose a risk of H5N1 influenza infection?

Poultry-based diets are the main concern, including chicken, turkey and duck, as all poultry are highly susceptible to H5N1 influenza. However, the virus is now also widespread in dairy cattle in the US, particularly in certain states (like California at the moment). Work done by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) in the US has found no evidence of virus in retail beef samples and only very low levels of virus in samples from 1 of 185 cull dairy cows tested (the positive cow did not enter the food chain). More investigation is needed, but it is likely that viral loads in muscle of infected cattle are far less than those in poultry. Risks from beef are presumably low, but the potential for the virus to be present in meat from infected dairy cattle cannot be dismissed.

Does use of “human grade” meat in raw diets eliminate the risk?

Human grade meat does not mean pathogen-free – it only means that the meat would have been allowed for sale for human consumption based on more rigourous requirements for the animals, facilities, processing and handling. These presumably reduce, but do not eliminate,  the risk of H5N1 infected animals entering the pet food chain.  

Does high-pressure pasteurization of raw diets eliminate H5N1 influenza virus?

High pressure pasteurization (HPP) of food products uses high pressure (rather than high heat, as in cooking) to reduce contamination with bacteria and viruses. Many commercial raw diets for pets are high pressure pasteurized (which is good). The pressures achieved during this process should inactivate influenza virus, but there are no standard methods for HPP. The effectiveness of HPP depends on the pressure, temperature, and composition of the food matrix. It is unclear whether manufacturers have developed and validated the method for their wide range of diets and pathogen risks. Recalls of high-pressure pasteurized raw diets because of Salmonella contamination have been regular occurrences, and a recent infection in a cat was linked to such a diet. High pressure pasteurization should be considered a risk reduction step, not a risk elimination step.

Are frozen or freeze-dried raw diets lower risk for H5N1 influenza?

Freezing and freeze drying are effective preservation methods for viruses, so its unlikely that these methods substantially reduce the risk of viral contamination in raw diets. Ultralow freezing is used for longterm preservation of viruses, but shorter-term survival is also possible at temperatures achieved using normal freezers (-20C). A study of the survivability of H7N9 influenza on raw chicken meat (Dai et al. Lancet 2022) reported that viral infectivity was maintained for 9 days at -20C, 4 days at 4C and 4 days at 25C. This was a rather small study, so it is possible that somewhat longer survival could occur in some situations. In nature, long term (e.g. overwintering) survival of influenza virus in ice has been suspected.

While the survival kinetics of this virus with freezing are not clear, it should be assumed that the virus could survive frozen for at least a week, and possibly much longer. Freezing should not be assumed to be a risk mitigation measure for viral contamination of raw diets.

Freeze drying is a highly effective virus preservation method. Survival of virus in freeze dried food has not been assessed, but in the absence of specific evidence, it is reasonable to assume that influenza virus would survive for long periods of time in such diets.

My cat is doing well on a raw diet and I don’t want to change. What can I do?

Raw diets can be cooked so that the cat receives a diet with the same ingredients but without the risk from H5N1 influenza (and other pathogens). There is no evidence that cooking reduces the health benefits of a diet. Cooking the food to an internal temperature of 165F/74C will inactivate influenza virus and other pathogens such as Salmonella.  

My cat has eaten a raw diet that’s been recalled diet. What should I do?

You should observe your cat closely and contact your veterinarian in you are concerned or your cat develops any signs of illness. Antiviral prophylaxis could be considered in particularly high-risk situations where it is likely that the cat has eaten contaminated food. This may not be the case for all recalled diets and would depend on the nature of the recall. Early signs of H5N1 influenza in cats are not well established, but often seem to be vague signs such as lethargy, malaise and decreased appetite. Rapid progression to severe disease can occur so veterinary care should be sought as soon as possible.

My cat has eaten a raw diet that’s not been recalled. What should I do?

Unless there is evidence that the diet has been implicated in disease, the odds of a problem developing are low. However, it would still be ideal to transition the cat to a cooked diet, whether that’s a commercial wet or dry diet, a home-cooked diet or cooking the cat’s current raw diet. Monitoring of your cat for illness, as above, is still indicated, as always.

What are risks to people from contact with contaminated raw diets?

The risk to people from H5N1 influenza from handling contaminated raw diets is likely quite low but not zero. Exposure could happen from inadvertent ingestion of the virus from contaminated surfaces (e.g. food prep surfaces, refrigerator, food bowls). That would likely be low level exposure, but the infectious dose of the virus is not known so it could still be relevant. There are similar risks with these diets from pathogens such as Salmonella, so good food handling practices are always warranted. These include avoiding cross-contamination with human foods and kitchen surfaces, careful cleaning and disinfection of in contact surfaces, dishes and utensils, and thorough handwashing (or use of an alcohol-based hand sanitizer) after contact with the raw diet or food bowls.

The greatest risk to people would be from exposure to a cat (or less likely a dog) infected with H5N1 influenza. An infected animal might be shedding enough virus to infect people, although the risk of this is still unclear. Any cat or dog with suspected influenza should be handled sparingly, and with use of good infection control measures, including a mask (ideally an N95 respirator) and eye protection.  

Closing thoughts

My opinions on raw diets have been pretty clear all along. I don’t think there’s any evidence that raw diets have any health benefits over an appropriate cooked diet, but raw diets come with numerous infectious disease risks. I’ve seen enough dogs and cats (and sometimes owners) sickened from raw diets to be confident in that. At the same time, I’m a realist and know that some people will continue to feed pets raw diets regardless. That’s why we have a infosheet about raw diets that includes ways to reduce the infectious disease risks for those who choose to feed them to their pets.

The current situation doesn’t really change anything for me. I’m still opposed to raw diets for pets, and this simply adds yet another layer of risk to pets and people that consume/feed them.

If someone is adamant that they are going to feed their pet a raw diet, here’s what I currently recommend:

  • Avoid diets that contain poultry (including duck)
  • Use a diet treated with high pressure pasteurization (realizing it reduces risk, but does not eliminate it)
  • Take care to avoid cross contamination of human food, and use good food handling and hygiene practices (always)
  • If your pet has been fed raw meat and gets sick, make sure your veterinarian knows about the diet so they can consider whether that might be relevant
  • Pay attention to the news and recalls so that you can stop feeding a diet if there are any known issues (but realize that we don’t typically know about any issues until one or more animals gets really sick or dies from the diet)
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Hot on the heels of the recent death of a cat in Oregon due to H5N1 influenza infection linked to a raw diet (that some raw diet proponents are trying to deflect or downplay), we have confirmation of a very similar case in California. Los Angeles County Public Health has issued a notice to avoid feeding Monarch Raw Pet Food “due to detection of H5 bird flu in product samples.” (note the plural). H5N1 was confirmed in one cat that was fed this diet and is suspected in four other cats from the same household.

The diet type was not reported, but the company’s website indicates “Our pet food is made of human grade USDA free-range poultry that is raised in the San Joaquin Valley.” Free range poultry are at increased risk of H5N1 infection from wild birds. Nonetheless, it would be interesting to know how infected poultry made it into the food chain (even the pet food chain), since H5N1 influenza usually causes widespread illness and death in domestic poultry, so it’s pretty obvious when it hits a poultry farm (and sick birds cannot be sent to slaughter).

The status of the infected cat wasn’t reported, but H5N1 infection in cats is often fatal based on what we know to date. Hopefully the cat had a milder infection, but I assume it was at least worse than a routine upper respiratory tract infection, since testing is usually limited to pets that are pretty sick.

The good news is that food-associated H5N1 influenza risks are totally avoidable… just don’t feed pets raw diets. The cost:benefit calculus is pretty easy since this virus kills cats and there are no health benefits of raw diets. More information about raw meat-based diets for pets (beyond the risk of H5N1 flu) can be found in the Worms & Germs / OAHN Raw Meat Diets infosheet, available on the Worms & Germs Resources – Pets page.

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The Oregon Department of Health has issued a warning to pet owners about contaminated raw pet food after H5N1 avian influenza virus was detected in turkey-based raw (and frozen raw) pet food from Morasch Meats. Testing was performed after the death of an indoor cat from H5N1 flu in Washington County, Oregon. The virus from the cat and from the pet food were a genetic match, making a solid link between the two. The pet food company is voluntarily recalling some of their Northwest Naturals diets.

This highlights (yet another) risk posed by poultry-based raw pet food at the moment in areas like the US where H5N1 flu is actively circulating. There could also potentially be risk of H5N1 contamination of raw pet food made with beef, if the meat came from infected US dairy cattle. Risks could also extend to other raw pet food formulations if there is cross-contamination from these higher-risk ingredients.

There are no health benefits to raw diets beyond a properly formulated cooked (be it commerical or homemade) diet. H5N1 flu is now yet another potential threat to animals fed raw diets. The risk may extend to owners as well, through exposure to virus from handling food, and potentially from infected pets (especially cats, but we still don’t know the level of cat-to-human transmission risk).

We have seen foodborne H5N1 influenza infection in cats in multiple situations, often resulting in fatal disease. Foodborne disease probably helps explain some of the earlier reports of H5N1 in indoor cats, and in that respect it’s good to have an idea of how all these infections are occurring. The more infections we can’t explain, the more we worry about serious issues like unknown human (owner) infections with subsequent human-to-cat transmission. I’d much rather be able to attribute cases to straightforward food-associated transmission than have to explore other transmission pathways, or think that there may be silent human-associated spread.

The mitigation approach here is simple: just avoid raw pet food diets (especially poultry-based diets).

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There’s a reason we pasteurize milk: there’s always a risk of contamination of raw milk with infectious agents, and pasteurization is a cheap, easy and effective way to mitigate disease risks from drinking milk and other dairy products. There are no clear benefits to raw milk (despite what some may say) and the risks from drinking raw milk are clear (and have been known for decades).

However, raw (unpasteurized) milk can still be legally sold in some states in the US (it is not allowed in Ontario). It’s getting more attention as a certain high-profile US politician talks about raw milk alongside his anti-[lots of things] agenda. That’s a huge concern for human health. There are some animal health issues too, and since that’s my turf, I’ll talk about those.

A recent report from LA County highlights the risk of H5N1 influenza in raw milk from infected cows in California (where hundreds of herd have been affected since the summer). So far, this seems to just be a problem in the US, as they are the only country where H5N1 flu has spread to (and between) dairy cattle. Lack of an aggressive initial response, in combination with how dairy cattle are managed and moved across the US, led to widespread infections on dairy farms in certain states. The strain of H5N1 flu affected the cattle has a unique predilection for the bovine udder. Infected cattle shed huge amounts of virus in their milk, and milk (and milking equipment) therefore seems to be the main source of transmission from and between cattle.

Milk from infected cattle shouldn’t enter the food chain, but not all infected cattle are identified right away. Pasteurization will effectively inactive influenza virus, so pasteurized milk is safe regardless. The concern is with consumption raw milk (whether it is sold legally or illegally, depending on the jurisdiction).

The LA County Department of Public Health has reported the deaths of two cats from H5 influenza (that will almost certainly be confirmed as H5N1 when all the testing is completed). Both cats had consumed recalled (contaminated) raw milk, and had what seems to be a typical disease course for cats with this virus. They had some initial non-specific signs (e.g. loss of appetite, fever) then developed severe, progressive and ultimately fatal neurological disease. Presumably public health is closely monitoring the people and other animals in the household.

They are also investigating three other feline cases from a different household. One initially tested positive for influenza already, so it’s pretty safe to assume this is another H5N1 cluster. Two cats in that household died “after worsening respiratory illness.” More details about that would be nice since we still don’t have a good handle on the scope of disease that occurs in cats and dogs, but it would help us to better flag potential flu cases. There’s no known link to raw milk for these three cats yet, but they are investigating potential sources of exposure, including raw milk.

Almost certainly they are trying to sequence the virus from these cases.

  • They’ll presumably find the dairy-associated strain of H5N1 in the first household; that would make a solid link to the raw milk as the source.
  • Sequencing from the other household will be important to help sort out potential sources (e.g. dairy strain vs strains in wild birds in the area).

While avoiding raw milk doesn’t eliminate all H5N1 flu risks (since infected birds are still a source), it’s a completely avoidable risk factor. There are no health benefits from raw milk, but there are very clear risks (which now include influenza as well). The cost:benefit calculus is pretty straightforward here.

What about risks from raw milk in areas outside the US where there’s no known H5N1 flu in dairy cattle?

There are still other infectious disease risks from raw milk. Also, just because we don’t know that there are cases now doesn’t mean that there are actually none or that there will be none forever.

It’s pretty simple to me: just avoid drinking raw milk (and other unpasteurized dairy products), but remember that pasteurized milk and dairy products are safe!

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In some ways, I wonder why there even are recalls for raw pet foods and Salmonella. We know contamination is common, and the contaminated foods that get identified and recalled are presumably a very small portion of the amount of contaminated food that’s in circulation. At the same time, when a problem is identified and the FDA asks for a recall, I find it astounding that a company would ignore that.

Darwin’s Natural Pet Products is in the news yet again for selling contaminated raw pet food – and ignoring an FDA request for a recall.

As a result, the FDA has issued a public notice regarding Darwin’s Natural Selections Pet Food:

  • The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is cautioning pet owners that FDA samples of five Darwin’s Natural Pet Products raw cat and dog food made by Arrow Reliance, Inc. tested positive for Salmonella and a sixth FDA sample tested positive for Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes (L. mono). 
  • The FDA recommended that Arrow Reliance, Inc. recall all six lots of product. To date, the firm has not recalled the affected products and could continue to distribute them. Therefore, FDA advises consumers to keep checking Darwin’s Natural Selection Antibiotic & Grain-Free products for the affected lot numbers prior to feeding to pets.

I could make a crack about Darwin’s “natural selection” but would rather the company just be responsible, recall their products and review their practices, to reduce the human and animal health risks.

Cleaning up some of the misinformation on their website would be good too, like where it suggests Salmonella is only a risk to puppies and kittens less than 4 months of age, or to those that are immunocompromised. Salmonella can most definitely cause disease in healthy adult dogs and cats, as well as their owners.

For more information about raw diets, including the risks and how to reduce them, see our recently updated Raw Meat Diets infosheet (produced in collaboration with OAHN) on the Worms & Germs Resources -Pets page.