Voluntary pet food recall issued after Oregon house cat dies from eating product that tested positive for bird flu

A Portland-based pet food company issued a nationwide voluntary recall after a house cat in Oregon died from eating one of its products, which tested positive for bird flu.

A Portland-based pet food company issued a nationwide voluntary recall after a house cat in Oregon died from eating one of its products, which tested positive for bird flu. Northwest Naturals, owned by Morasch Meats, announced the recall Tuesday for one batch of its 2-pound Feline Turkey Recipe raw frozen pet food after the product tested positive for the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus, also known as H5N1 bird flu, according to a news release. The batch with the virus was sold across the United States through distributors in Washington, Arizona, Rhode Island, Georgia, Maryland and several other states, according to the release. The products were also distributed in Canada’s British Columbia. The company is cooperating with the Oregon Department of Agriculture on the voluntary recall, which was not issued by the US Food and Drug Administration. Laboratory testing from the US Department of Agriculture and Oregon State University confirmed the cat died after consuming raw frozen pet food that tested positive for H5N1 in Washington County, Oregon, according to a news release from the Oregon Department of Agriculture. Testing confirmed a genetic match between the infected animal and the virus found in the raw frozen pet food, the department said. The test results prompted the voluntary recall, the Washington State Department of Agriculture announced in a statement on Facebook.