A man from San Bernardino reported that two of his cats died and another was hospitalized after drinking raw milk linked to a bird flu outbreak. Health officials confirmed that the unpasteurized milk, made by Raw Farm in Fresno, contained the H5N1 virus. The milk was recalled in December after contamination reports. Joseph Journell, the owner, said he gave the milk to his cats hoping it would improve their health. His 14-year-old tabby, Alexander, and 4-year-old tuxedo cat, Tuxsie, died in late November. A third cat, Big Boy, tested positive for H5N1 and needed hospitalization. Big Boy returned home blind and paralyzed in his hind legs but is recovering. Journell mentioned that his cats had no contact with infected birds and ate regular pet food except for the raw milk.

Veterinary tests confirmed Big Boy had the H5N1 virus, done by the U.S. Agriculture Department and Cornell University. Studies published in Emerging Infectious Diseases linked similar cases to neurological issues in cats that drank contaminated raw milk. Since December, nearly a dozen cats in California have died from similar causes, health officials said. Journell is asking Raw Farm for compensation for over $12,000 in veterinary bills. Mark McAfee, Raw Farm’s owner, questioned whether the virus could survive in milk long enough to infect animals. Federal and state agencies continue to warn against unpasteurized milk for both humans and animals.