The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is advising Iowa pet owners to keep their cats and dogs away from sick or deceased wild birds and animals.

Cats in particular are at risk of contracting the bird flu virus, according to veterinarians at Mount Laurel Animal Hospital in New Jersey.

Authorities say they’ve identified the cause of a carbon monoxide leak in New Hampshire that killed a Newton family on Christmas Day. Five Massachusetts college students appeared in court Thursday, accused of plotting to lure a man to their campus through a dating app and then seizing him as part of a “Catch a Predator” trend on TikTok.

The Connecticut Department of Agriculture confirmed the presence of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1, commonly known as bird flu, in a flock of chickens, ducks and peacocks on Jan. 15. These birds were family pets and had been in close contact with wild waterfowl from a nearby pond, according to the release.

State officials said H5N1, or bird flu, was detected in a backyard flock Wednesday in New London County. The flock was "depopulated," officials said.

Bird flu was reported in Connecticut, according to the state Department of Agriculture and Department of Public Health.