Bird flu has been on the rise in Washington state and one sanctuary was hit hard: 20 big cats – more than half of the facility’s population – died over the course of weeks.

The ongoing spread of bird flu in the United States has alarmed experts -- not just because of human cases causing severe illness, but also due to troubling new instances of infections in cats.

Following one pet fatality, Oregon health officials have traced the cat’s illness to frozen cat food that contained raw turkey.