Pet owners should immediately throw out Monarch Raw Pet Food after H5 bird flu virus was found in product samples, health officials said Tuesday, in the second such warning in a week.
The raw pet food is sold at several farmers markets in California, and a house cat who consumed the product has been confirmed positive for bird flu, L.A. County Department of Public Health announced.
Four other cats from the same household are presumed to have also tested positive for the virus.
Residents who feed their pets Monarch Raw Pet Food products or other raw meat or dairy products, and notice their pet is experiencing symptoms, should immediately contact their veterinarian.
A list of farmers market locations where the product was sold can be found at monarchrawpetfood.com/.
L.A. County residents should avoid consumption of all raw milk and raw meat products and not feed them to their pets, according to the health department.
Last week, the department warned residents not to feed their pets raw food following a voluntary recall of Northwest Naturals Brand 2lb Feline Turkey Recipe Raw & Frozen Pet Food due to detection of H5 bird flu virus in product samples.
The Oregon Department of Agriculture confirmed that a house cat contracted H5 bird flu and died after consuming that recalled raw frozen pet food, officials said. The products are also sold in California, and a listing of retailers can be found at nw-naturals.net/12-24-24-voluntary-product-recall/
Additionally, Public Health recently confirmed H5 bird flu in four house cats from a separate household who consumed recalled raw milk and became sick and died, which is part of an ongoing investigation.
Cats infected with bird flu can develop severe illness and show symptoms such as neurological signs, respiratory signs or liver disease that can rapidly progress to death.
The department has not identified human cases of bird flu associated with exposure to cats. The overall risk of bird flu to the public remains low, officials said. There is currently no evidence of person-to-person spread of the virus, they added.
Residents can call the public health InfoLine at 833-540-0473 to ask questions or to find a nearby clinic or doctor.
Additional reporting by City News Service.
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