Bird Flu Outbreak Expands to Cats, Cattle, and Humans, Raising Health and Food Safety Concerns

The H5N1 virus has infected millions of birds, spread to domestic cats, and caused the first U.S. human death, prompting warnings about raw pet food and unpasteurized dairy products.

The H5N1 bird flu outbreak has infected 15 million poultry in the past month, with over 140 million birds culled or infected since 2022, leading to rising egg prices.
Human cases remain rare, with 67 reported in the U.S. since April 2024, including one fatality in Louisiana, though there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission.
Domestic cats are highly susceptible to the virus, with cases linked to contact with infected birds, raw pet food, and unpasteurized dairy; mortality rates in cats can reach 67%.
The FDA has issued advisories for pet food manufacturers to revise safety plans and warned against feeding pets raw or unpasteurized products to prevent infection.
Pasteurized milk and properly cooked poultry and eggs are considered safe for human consumption, but the outbreak continues to disrupt food supply chains.