Two more Oregon cats die from bird flu virus in raw food

Two more Oregon cats died this month after eating raw cat food that was contaminated with the deadly bird flu virus, prompting Washington state officials to issue a recall.

The cats lived in separate households in Multnomah County but both ate the same food produced by Wild Coast Raw in Olympia, Washington, according to the Oregon Department of Agriculture. They became so ill that they had to be euthanized within days of each other, state records show. 

The owners reported the illnesses and Oregon Department of Agriculture officials collected samples of the food from opened and unopened containers for testing. Tests were conducted by labs in Oregon, Washington state and by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which confirmed that the food was tainted with the same strain that killed the cats.

Washington state officials announced a recall of the tainted food on Friday. Pet owners should toss or return any containers of Wild Coast’s boneless free range chicken formula, lots 22660 and 22664, with a best by date of December 2025. 

These are the fifth cats known to have become infected with the bird flu virus that died in Oregon, and this is the second case in recent months that a Northwest brand of raw cat food has been tainted with the deadly virus. In late December, the Oregon Department of Agriculture said another cat was euthanized after eating raw food from Northwest Naturals, a Portland-based company. 

Health officials advise pet owners to avoid feeding cats, in particular, raw food of any kind, whether it is frozen or freeze-dried. It takes high heat like that used to produce cooked food to kill the virus. 

Cats, both domestic and wild, are especially susceptible to the highly pathogenic avian influenza, and dogs can contract it as well, though they appear to be more resilient to the virus. 

Other animals, especially poultry and dairy cows, have been sickened by bird flu. The disease is often spread by migrating birds. People exposed to the virus in agricultural operations have also become sick, including a poultry worker in Clackamas County. One man in Louisiana, who was elderly and had other health problems died in early January after being infected with the virus.