MONDAY, Jan. 27, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- Reports of cats becoming seriously ill or dying after consuming raw pet food or milk tainted with the deadly bird flu virus have prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to urge pet food manufacturers to take extra precautions.

The US Food and Drug Administration said it is tracking multiple cases of H5N1 bird flu in domestic and wild cats, including cases linked to contaminated pet food.

The FDA has advised pet food companies to revisit food safety plans as a growing number of cats have gotten sick or died from eating food contaminated with bird flu.

Across the United States, bird flu is no longer a concern only for dairy and poultry farms — it’s now knocking on the gates of zoos and wildlife sanctuaries, putting some of the nation’s rarest animals at risk.