No further AI cases confirmed from contaminated cat food

All News 06:00 August 09, 2023

SEOUL, Aug. 9 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's agricultural ministry said Wednesday it has found no further infections of highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) traced to contaminated cat food products.

The announcement came after the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said traces of the virus were found in two kinds of cat food -- Balanced Duck and Balanced Chicken manufactured by Nature's Raw -- used at a shelter in Seoul last week.

Last month, a cat at the shelter in Seoul's Gwanak district died after showing respiratory symptoms, and it was later found to have been infected with a highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza strain.

Upon detection of the virus, the government ordered the manufacturer to recall and destroy the products, and launched an inspection into all manufacturers of animal food using chicken, duck and other meats.

The ministry said it has contacted 286 consumers who have purchased the products to recall and destroy them.

The consumers' cats have so far showed no signs of the highly pathogenic AI, with the regional governments planning to closely observe them through next week.

Concerns have grown over the spread of avian influenza among cats and other animals, as the country also reported AI cases in two cats at a shelter in Seoul's Yongsan Ward last month, marking the first infections of the virus in mammals since 2016.

"Pets living at houses are highly unlikely to be infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza, and there have been no cases of such infections between cats globally," an official from the agricultural ministry said.