U.S. pet owners warned to avoid raw cat food after feline dies of bird flu

NEW YORK, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Los Angeles County health officials are urging pet owners to avoid Northwest Naturals Brand 2lb Feline Turkey Recipe Raw &Frozen Pet Food after an Oregon house cat ate the recalled raw pet food and died from an H5N1 bird flu infection, the Los Angele Times has reported.

The recalled products are sold in California and can be ordered from the brand's website. Samples of the product contained the virus, according to the report.

The food was packaged in 2-pound plastic bags with "best if used by" dates of 05/21/26 B10 and 06/23/2026 B1. County health officials are urging pet owners to dispose of the product if they have it.

Authorities are also asking residents to look for signs of illness in their cats, especially if they have consumed raw meat or raw dairy products.

If pet owners notice any symptoms, such as listlessness, loss of appetite, severe depression, fever, difficulty breathing, neurological disease, respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms, jaundice and death, they should notify their veterinarian immediately.