22.12.2024

On November 22, eight cats in a single household were offered raw milk produced by Raw Farm, LLC. Subsequently, this lot of milk was recalled. A week later, seven of the cats became ill, with five either dying or being euthanized. This group includes the two cats mentioned earlier. The clinical signs exhibited were variable but progressive, including fever, lethargy, dehydration, anorexia, icterus, respiratory distress, and neurologic symptoms. Of the five deceased cats that consumed the recalled raw milk, four were tested and confirmed to be infected with H5 Bird Flu. The virus was sequenced and found to be identical to the strain identified in the raw milk they consumed.
In a separate household in LA County, Veterinary Public Health is investigating five indoor-only domestic cats that became ill after presumably consuming two different brands of raw pet food diets composed of raw poultry and raw beef. Approximately two weeks after consuming the raw diets, two of the cats presented with acute respiratory distress and were humanely euthanized at a veterinary clinic. One cat from this group tested positive for H5.