There have been warnings that feeding pets raw diets such as unpasteurized milk or raw meat increases the risk of infection with the highly pathogenic (H5N1) avian influenza virus. The veterinary community pointed out that the safety of raw diets has not been scientifically proven for pets and that the risk of bacterial and viral infections can threaten public health.
According to foreign media on the 15th, brands specializing in natural diets that promote and disseminate feeding pets raw foods such as raw meat and raw milk as a 'natural diet' are gaining popularity worldwide. They promote that pets eating raw foods develop natural immunity, which is beneficial for health.
However, health authorities and experts point out that unpasteurized raw milk from dairy cows and untreated beef and chicken actually increase the risk of viral infections in pets. If pets become infected, humans living with them are also at risk.
◇Cats vulnerable to H5N1, raw diets can cause infection
Avian influenza H5N1 is a variant of the type A influenza virus, named H5N1 because the surface proteins hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) are of subtypes 5 and 1, respectively. HA acts as a key that allows the virus to attach to respiratory cells, while NA allows the virus to escape after replication.
Recently, the H5N1 avian influenza virus has spread among wild birds, dairy cows, and poultry, primarily in the United States and Mexico, heightening the chances of pets consuming raw diets contaminated with the virus. In November of last year, H5N1 virus was detected in raw milk sold in California, leading to a recall of products from that company.
Cats are particularly vulnerable to the H5N1 virus. They have many receptors in their Minister that bind to the H5N1 virus, increasing the probability of death from infection to 50%. Recently, there have been reports of domestic cats in the U.S. becoming infected with H5N1 after consuming raw diets and subsequently dying. Health authorities suspect that the infections occurred from raw chicken or unprocessed milk sold in stores.
If pets are infected with the H5N1 virus, it poses a risk to humans as well. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted, 'H5N1 is vulnerable to high temperatures, but it can survive in raw diets and may serve as a vector for virus transmission.'
The H5N1 virus shows a high mortality rate when it infects humans. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the mortality rate from H5N1 infection approaches 50%. Generally, transmission occurs from birds to humans, while human-to-human transmission is rare.
So far, a total of 4 confirmed deaths have been reported. A 65-year-old patient exposed to backyard chickens and wild birds in January in the U.S. died after being infected with H5N1. Subsequently, in February, two individuals, including a child sleeping near a chicken coop where 15 dead chickens were found in Cambodia, lost their lives. On the 9th, a 3-year-old child in Mexico died from H5N1 infection.
◇The raw diet trend lacks scientific basis
The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) said, 'The claim that raw diets are beneficial for pets' health lacks scientific basis and rather increases the risk of bacterial and viral infections,' and pointed out that the recent trend of raw pet diets stems from an anti-science inclination similar to the vaccine refusal movement.
The logic that raw diets benefit pet health was created in the 1940s. An American nutritionist compared the health status of 900 cats fed raw diets versus cooked foods and announced that the group fed raw diets was significantly healthier.
Since then, with the discovery of melamine used in plastic manufacturing in pet food brands in the mid-2000s, distrust towards existing pet food brands has taken root. As more people began to seek unprocessed foods as feed, specialized retailers started to emerge.
Recently, this natural food movement is gradually spreading in Korea, leading to the emergence of related brands. However, while unpasteurized raw milk is easily obtainable in the U.S. from dairy farms or some marts, purchasing raw milk is legally prohibited in Korea.
Experts agree that there is an urgent need for the government to strengthen management and supervision and to enhance the public health system.
They argue that to prevent the spread of viruses through pets, safety standards for raw pet food need to be reinforced. Along with this, there are increasing demands for mandatory pathogen testing for pets and vaccination of animals that could potentially transmit the virus, as part of a science-based animal health policy.
Given the situation, concerns have been raised that the recent move by U.S. Secretary of Health Robert Kennedy Jr. to reduce the functions of the Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) under the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and to lay off staff may disrupt related responses. The center currently serves as a key response organization to the spread of H5N1, overseeing animal infection monitoring, pet food safety regulations, and vaccination policies.