California Man's Cats Die from H5N1 After Drinking Recalled Raw Milk from Raw Farm

Jan 12, 2025, 08:05 PM

Joseph Journell, a 56-year-old man from San Bernardino, California, reported that two of his cats died after consuming raw milk from Raw Farm in Fresno that was recalled due to bird flu contamination. The cats, a 14-year-old tabby named Alexander and a 4-year-old tuxedo cat named Tuxsie, died in late November, with Alexander passing away on Thanksgiving and Tuxsie following two days later. A third cat, Big Boy, also aged 4, was hospitalized for a week, treated with antivirals, and tested positive for the H5N1 bird flu virus. Big Boy returned home blind and without the use of his back legs but is recovering. The milk in question was recalled from California store shelves in December after health officials detected the virus. Journell had been drinking the same milk, believing it had health benefits, and fed it to his cats in an attempt to improve their health, costing him over $12,000 in treatment expenses. Following the incident, nearly a dozen cats in California have died from consuming raw milk or raw pet food contaminated with bird flu, amid a broader outbreak affecting over 900 U.S. dairy herds in 16 states, with 80% of those in California. After his cats got sick, Journell himself fell ill and sought care at Kaiser Permanente hospital in Fontana, California, but was not tested for bird flu due to lack of available tests. Health officials have advised against consuming raw milk and feeding it to pets due to the risk of bird flu and other infections.