A voluntary recall was issued Tuesday for a brand of raw cat food distributed in Arizona after the testing was positive for bird flu and caused the death of a cat.
Northwest Naturals brand 2-pound Turkey Recipe, a raw and frozen pet food, tested positive for H5N1, according to the Oregon-based business and the Oregon Department of Agriculture, which said Arizona was among the 12 states and one province in Canada where it was distributed.
Testing confirmed that a cat in Washington County, Oregon, died after consuming the raw frozen cat food, which showed a genetic match between the virus and the cat food and the cat.
"We are confident that this cat contracted H5N1 by eating the Northwest Naturals raw and frozen pet food," said ODA State Veterinarian Dr. Ryan Scholz. "This cat was strictly an indoor cat."
Northwest Naturals is telling people to toss two-pound bags of the company's Feline Turkey Recipe that have a best-by date between May 21, 2026, and June 23, 2026. The bags tested positive for virulent bird flu, the company warned.
The food was sold nationwide in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington, and the Canadian province of British Columbia.
For additional information or questions, customers may contact Northwest Naturals of Portland at [email protected] or 866-637-1872 from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Friday, according to an ODA statement.
The state health authority was monitoring the household members who had contact with the cat that died.
The recall comes after the Oregon Department of Agriculture linked the death of a house cat in Washington County to eating the Northwest Naturals chow Tuesday. The pet's death also comes as concerns over the bird flu have grown. Dozens of people have been infected around the country, California has declared a state of emergency, and the spread among livestock has begun impacting the food supply.
USA TODAY's Michael Loria contributed to this article.