Health

Cat owners beware as pet food with bird flu risk is recalled

Published

12 months ago

March 16, 2025

Cat owners beware as pet food with bird flu risk is recalled

Cat owners have been alerted to a potential health threat.

Savage Pet of El Cajon, California, is recalling 66 large chicken boxes (84 oz.) and 74 small chicken boxes (21 oz.) with the lot code/”best by” date of 11.15.2026, as these products have “the potential to contain H5N1, also known as bird flu,” according to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA).

The Savage Cat food products were distributed to retailers in five states: California, Colorado, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, the FDA’s website says.

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“People who fed [their] cats the recalled products should watch for symptoms of bird flu, including fever, lethargy, low appetite, reddened or inflamed eyes, discharge from the eyes and nose, difficulty breathing, and neurological signs like tremors, stiff body movements, seizure, lack of coordination or blindness,” the notice says.

Anyone whose felines exhibit these signs after consuming the product “should immediately contact their veterinarian,” the FDA advises.

Anyone whose cats exhibit certain symptoms, including fever, lethargy and low appetite, “should immediately contact their veterinarian,” the FDA’s website says. Pet owners need to protect themselves from possible infection as well, the site indicates. (iStock)

The FDA indicates that “while no human infections have been identified among people handling raw pet food products, humans can become infected if [the] live virus gets into a person’s eyes, nose or mouth.”

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Regular handwashing and cleaning of contact surfaces is highly recommended, the notice also indicates.

“People who handled the recalled products should watch for symptoms of bird flu.”

“People who handled the recalled products should watch for symptoms of bird flu, including eye redness or irritation (conjunctivitis), cough, sore throat, sneezing, runny/stuffy nose, muscle/body aches, headaches, fatigue, fever, trouble breathing, seizures, rash, diarrhea, nausea and/or vomiting.”

The New York City Health Department issued a statement about three cats (not pictured) potentially becoming infected with bird flu. (iStock)

The notice also says, “People exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare provider and local health department.”

In February, Savage Pet said it was “made aware of one cat in Colorado that contracted H5N1, got sick and recovered.”

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The laboratory at Colorado State University “tested sealed packets of Savage Cat Food using PCR testing for H5N1,” the FDA’s site says.

The PCR test results were “non-negative,” according to the same source.

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“The product with ‘non-negative’ PCR results was sent to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, for virus isolation testing” — and the product was taken off the market pending final test results, the site says.

The company added, as the FDA site indicates, “To ensure maximum safety, we are modifying our market withdrawal to a recall … The product with lot code/’best by’ date of 11.15.2026 was distributed in November 2024.” (REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo)

The virus isolation testing was found “to be negative,” it also says.

On March 13, “Savage Pet was made aware of an additional case in New York of a kitten” that ate from lot 11.15.2026 and “contracted avian flu. Further testing is ongoing.”

Previous studies have suggested that H5N1 could be transmitted among cats.

“The boxes are cardboard and contain individual plastic packets inside. The lot code/’best by’ date is stamped on the bottom and on each packet.”

Potential cat-to-cat transmission

Previous studies have suggested that H5N1 could be transmitted among cats, and a March 15 statement from the New York City Health Department seems to support that possibility.

The statement provided details of two cats that contracted bird flu and a third cat suspected to have it.

“Avian influenza (bird flu) virus was detected in two cats and a suspected third cat over the past two months, all connected to Savage Cat Food, poultry packets lot number 11152026,” the alert read.

The first cat, cat A, became ill and died after eating chicken packets from Savage Cat Food.

“Testing for H5 bird flu was performed at the Cornell Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, and confirmatory H5N1 testing by the U.S.D.A. National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) is pending.”

A second cat, cat B, was diagnosed with H5N1 and also died as a result of infection, health officials said – but “this cat did not consume the raw food product but was exposed to a sick cat, cat C. Cat C became ill with fever after consuming Savage Cat Food lot number 11152026.”

“Cat C survived and H5 testing was not performed and cannot be performed, as too much time has passed.”

This suggests that cat B may have been infected after contact with cat C.

Melissa Rudy is senior health editor and a member of the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to melissa.rudy@fox.com.

Health

Common nighttime noise exposure may trigger heart problems, study suggests

Published

1 hour ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Common nighttime noise exposure may trigger heart problems, study suggests

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Living near heavy traffic could negatively impact your heart health.

A European study, published in the journal Environmental Research, found that exposure to nighttime road traffic noise is linked to changes in the blood, leading to worsened cholesterol and cardiovascular risks.

The researchers considered data from the U.K. Biobank, Rotterdam Study, and Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966, including more than 272,000 adults over the age of 30, according to a press release.

Nighttime road noise exposure was estimated at all participants’ homes based on national noise maps. Researchers also took blood samples to measure the participants’ metabolic biomarkers for disease, then mapped the link between nightly noise levels and existence of biomarkers.

Exposure to loud noise was associated with increased concentrations of cholesterol-related biomarkers. (iStock)

The study found that people exposed to louder noise at night — especially sounds above 55 decibels — showed changes in 48 different substances in their blood. Twenty of these associations “remained robust” throughout all cohorts.

Exposure to loud noise was associated with increased concentrations of cholesterol-related biomarkers, especially LDL “bad” cholesterol, IDL (intermediate-density lipoprotein) and unsaturated fatty acids.

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As noise levels increased, starting at around 50 decibels, cholesterol markers rose steadily, the release stated.

The authors concluded that this study “provides evidence that nighttime road traffic noise exposure from 50 dB upward is associated with alterations in blood cholesterol and lipid profiles in adults.”

Researchers noted a link between traffic noise and cardiometabolic disease. (iStock)

Study co-author Yiyan He, doctoral researcher at the University of Oulu in Finland, noted that in this type of research, small effect sizes are expected, and environmental exposures such as traffic noise are “typically modest.”

SIMPLE NIGHTLY HABIT LINKED TO HEALTHIER BLOOD PRESSURE, STUDY SUGGESTS

“Despite this, we observed statistically robust and consistent associations across many biomarkers, especially those related to LDL and IDL lipoproteins,” she told Fox News Digital.

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“We also identified a clear exposure-response pattern starting at around 50 dB, suggesting that metabolic changes become more evident as noise levels increase.”

This aligns with public health guidance, as the World Health Organization recommends lower nighttime noise limits at around 40 to 45 dB, Yiyan He added.

“This finding may clarify the association between traffic noise and cardiometabolic diseases,” the researchers wrote. (iStock)

“The 55 dB level is often used as an interim benchmark associated with substantial noise annoyance and sleep disturbance,” she said. “In our study, we observed associations not only at 55 dB, but also indications of effects emerging at around 50 dB.”

The strength and consistency of the cholesterol-related associations were surprising, as these changes are usually “subtle.”

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“Instead, we found consistent associations across multiple large European cohorts, which strengthens confidence that the findings may reflect real biological patterns,” Yiyan He went on. “We were also interested to see that effects were minimal below ~50 dB, suggesting a possible threshold-like pattern.”

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The researcher noted that these findings were consistent across genders, education levels and obesity status.

The study was restricted to White Europeans, which posed a limitation. There was also a lack of information on the fasting status in the UK Biobank.

Changes in cholesterol levels were more severe than researchers expected. (iStock)

“Fasting can influence levels of certain metabolites, particularly fatty acids,” Yiyan He said. “However, based on UK Biobank documentation, fewer than 10% of participants were fasting for at least eight hours, and our main findings focused on cholesterol-related biomarkers, which are generally less sensitive to short-term fasting.”

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The researchers also lacked information on bedroom location, indoor noise exposure and time spent at home.

“These factors may introduce non-differential exposure misclassification,” Yiyan He said. “Additionally, noise exposure estimates were based on participants’ temporary residential addresses at the time of blood sampling, without considering the duration of residence.”

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“Many of these limitations would tend to bias results toward the null, so the consistent associations we observed remain noteworthy.”

Experts recommend taking measures to limit traffic noise at night. (iStock)

Based on this latest research, Yiyan He noted that nighttime noise is a “health-relevant exposure,” not just “an annoyance.”

“Our findings suggest that nighttime traffic noise may subtly but consistently affect metabolic health,” she said. “While the changes in cholesterol and lipid levels for any one individual are small, traffic noise affects a very large number of people, which means the potential public health impact could be substantial.”

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The researcher recommends taking measures like improving sound insulation, using noise-reducing strategies and placing bedrooms on the quieter side of the home when possible.

“Because sleep is a key pathway linking noise to health, protecting the nighttime sleep environment is especially important,” she added.

Angelica Stabile is a lifestyle reporter for Fox News Digital.

Health

The Best Time To Drink Coffee for Weight Loss and a Faster Metabolism

Published

12 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

The Best Time To Drink Coffee for Weight Loss and a Faster Metabolism

The Best Time To Drink Coffee for Weight Loss and Fat Burn | Woman’s World

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