The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health recommended that people avoid feeding their pets Monarch Raw Pet Food after a house cat tested positive for bird flu and samples of the food also detected the virus in it.

This is the second warning about bird flu associated with raw pet food in the past week.

Last week, Northwest Naturals recalled one batch of its cat food after a house cat died of bird flu and the raw food it ate was found to be contaminated with the virus H5N1, according to the Oregon Department of Agriculture.

The affected cat food -- which is made from turkey and sold raw and frozen -- was recalled after it tested positive for "highly pathogenic avian influenza virus," Northwest Naturals said in a statement.

While only one cat who ate Monarch Raw Pet Food has tested positive for bird flu, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health believes four other cats that live with that cat also likely have it.

Bird flu is currently circulating in the U.S., causing outbreaks in poultry in all 50 states, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It's also been confirmed in 66 people in 10 states, many of them in the Northwest, prompting concerns about whether bird flu could lead to another pandemic.

Dozens of cats have contracted bird flu in the U.S. since the outbreak began earlier this year, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. The group notes that cats seem to be more prone to severe illness from bird flu, including death, than other animals.

The Oregon Department of Agriculture is investigating the presence of bird flu in cat food after a cat died of the virus, which testing shows it mostly likely contracted from consuming the raw food. The cat food was made by Northwest Naturals and has since been recalled.

"We are confident that this cat contracted H5N1 by eating the Northwest Naturals raw and frozen pet food," Dr. Ryan Scholz, a state veterinarian with the Oregon Department of Agriculture, said in a statement. "This cat was strictly an indoor cat; it was not exposed to the virus in its environment, and results from genome sequencing confirmed that the virus recovered from the raw pet food and the infected cat were an exact match to each other."

Oregon Health Authority staff are watching those who were exposed to the cat for any flu-like symptoms, the Oregon Department of Agriculture said. The agency stressed that this case has not been connected to any infections in humans, and "the risk of (highly pathogenic avian influenza) transmission to humans remains low in Oregon."

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is also investigating the deaths of four cats from a different household that drank raw milk, which had been recalled, and died of bird flu. So far, no people who have been in contact with the sick cats have tested positive for bird flu, the organization noted.

The recalled cat food, made by Northwest Naturals, is:

The recalled cat food was sold in 12 states and British Columbia, Canada:

Northwest Naturals urged pet owners to throw out any affected products and to contact the store where they purchased them for a full refund. Pet owners can contact Northwest Naturals of Portland, Oregon, at [email protected] or 866-637-1872 for more information.

Monarch Raw Pet Food is sold at various farmer's markets in California, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health of Health noted. Locations can be found on the company's website.

Dozens of cats -- including feral cats, barn cats, indoor cats and big cats at zoos -- have contracted bird flu since the outbreak started in March 2024, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Cats seem to be more likely to die of bird flu than other animals, the AVMA says.

Cats that become infected with bird flu usually contract it in one of a few ways:

If you suspect your cat has bird flu, contact your veterinary and limit its exposure to others, especially those who are immunocompromised.

The Oregon Department of Agriculture also warned against feeding raw meat to pets (and humans) due to the risk of exposure to potentially dangerous viruses and bacteria, such as salmonella, listeria, E. coli and bird flu. It's safer to cook meat and opt for dairy products that have been pasteurized.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health also stresses that people and pets should not consume raw milk or meats because of the health risks of these products.