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5d ago

FDA Flags H5N1 in RAWR Raw Cat Food, Genetically Links Tainted Lots to Euthanized San Francisco Cat

Genetic testing matched the virus in the pet to the product, reinforcing guidance to handle raw pet foods carefully.

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FILE - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration campus in Silver Spring, Md., is photographed on Oct. 14, 2015. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)
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Overview

  • The FDA named two RAWR Raw Cat Food Chicken Eats lots—CCS 25 077 (sell-by Sept. 18, 2026) and CCS 25 093 (sell-by Oct. 3, 2026)—as contaminated with H5N1.
  • USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed H5N1 in samples from the cat and the food and found all were in the same whole‑genome sequencing cluster, identified as genotype B3.13.
  • Officials said the lineage detected matched viruses seen in late 2024 that are no longer circulating, supporting infection from the implicated product rather than current environmental exposure.
  • No federal recall has been posted; RAWR says it removed the specified lots weeks earlier and disputes that evidence proves the cat died from H5N1.
  • Authorities report no known human infections from handling raw pet food and advise hygiene and caution; the product is sold nationwide in frozen 2.5‑pound bags of one‑ounce sliders.