A cat in the US is thought to have died after contracting avian flu from a contaminated raw and frozen food product.

Officials from the state of Oregon’s Department of Agriculture (ODA) say they are “confident” of the link after samples of a turkey product since withdrawn from sale tested positive for the H5N1 strain.

The department has now urged residents not to consume raw or undercooked meat and dairy products, or allow their pets to do so, to help reduce the risk.

Recalled product

The case has been linked to a product manufactured by Northwest Naturals, which recalled it from sale on Christmas Eve.

ODA state veterinarian Ryan Scholz said: “We are confident that this cat contracted H5N1 by eating the Northwest Naturals raw and frozen pet food.

“This cat was strictly an indoor cat; it was not exposed to the virus in its environment, and results from the genome sequencing confirmed that the virus recovered from the raw pet food and infected cat were exact matches to each other.”

Cattle cases

News of the feline infection follows reports of hundreds of avian flu cases in cattle herds across 16 states.

But it is also likely to re-open the wider debate about what is, and what is not, an appropriate diet for pets.

A new BVA policy paper published last summer stopped short of opposing a raw-based approach, but warned that its risks “must” be highlighted to pet owners.

However, supporters of the approach insist that guidance should balance both its benefits and drawbacks.