Oregon has seen a surge in bird flu cases among cats over the past two months, with three new infections confirmed in Clackamas County. Seven cats in the Portland area have contracted avian influenza since December, including two in Washington County and two in Multnomah County.
The state veterinarian says most infected cats got the disease from raw pet food. Bird flu is more common among poultry, but can spread to other animals through direct contact or consuming infected raw meat or milk.
Symptoms of bird flu include fever, difficulty breathing, loss of appetite, and eye or nasal discharge. While dogs are also susceptible, they’re less likely to contract the disease.
DoveLewis veterinary hospital in Portland treated two cats with bird flu, one of which was euthanized. The state agency has increased testing efforts to better understand the disease’s effects on different animals.
The Washington State Department of Agriculture issued a public health alert after discovering that Wild Coast Raw products were linked to at least two Oregon cases. Prior to this outbreak, only two recorded cases of bird flu infecting cats occurred in Linn County in 2022.
Humans can contract bird flu, but there have been no reported infections in Oregon following contact with an infected cat. The state agency advises against feeding pets raw meat or milk and keeping them away from wild birds or poultry.
Source: https://www.oregonlive.com/health/2025/02/3-more-portland-area-cats-test-positive-for-bird-flu-as-infections-spread.html