Two Washington cats infected with bird flu
The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) announced the detection of H5N1 in domestic cats from two households in King and Snohomish counties, both linked to a specific brand of raw commercial cat food associated with severe illness in cats in Oregon. One cat was euthanized due to the severity of the illness, while the other is currently receiving veterinary treatment.
On Monday morning, February 24, the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (WADDL) reported presumptive positive results for both cats with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). WSDA received confirmatory results from the National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) on Tuesday, February 25.
Approximately two weeks passed between the incident in Oregon and the one in Washington, both involving the same food supplier. This raises concerns about oversight and management of the avian influenza situation in the U.S., as the outbreak appears to have been out of control for some time.
