2 LA County cats die from suspected bird flu after given raw milk, public health officials investigate

Public Health officials are investigating the deaths of two cats in Los Angeles County after they were given raw milk which had been recalled.  

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said it's looking into possible cases of H5 bird flu as the indoor cats developed sickly symptoms including lack of appetite, fever, and neurologic signs before dying.

They both consumed recalled raw milk from Raw Farm LLC.  The company had issued a voluntary recall of certain raw milk products on Dec. 3.

According to health officials, they also tested positive for Influenza A, a rare result in cats. 

People who had direct contact with the cats are monitoring for symptoms and have been offered antiviral prophylaxis. There have been no human cases of bird flu associated with exposure to these cats yet.  

"The risk of H5 bird flu remains low in Los Angeles County, but this suspected case of the virus in a pet cat that consumed raw milk is a reminder that consuming raw dairy products can lead to severe illness in cats," said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.   

Cats may be exposed to H5 bird flu by consuming infected birds or other animals, being in environments contaminated with the virus, and consuming unpasteurized milk from infected cows, according to the department.  

Public Health strongly encourages residents to avoid consuming raw milk and to not feed it to their pets, including frozen raw milk products since freezing does not eliminate harmful germs that can cause illness. 

Symptoms of H5 bird flu infection in humans include eye redness or discharge, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, diarrhea, vomiting, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue, trouble breathing and fever.