Latest news with #Knopp
Business Wire
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Wire
TicketManager Acquires Ovations, Expanding Leadership in Global Corporate Ticket Management
BUSINESS WIRE)--TicketManager, the world's leading provider of corporate ticket and guest management software, today announced the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of Ovations, a corporate ticketing solutions and hospitality platform serving Fortune 500 companies across key industries. The acquisition adds top-tier enterprise customers to the growing TicketManager community and further strengthens the company's position as the global leader in corporate ticketing and event management solutions. Ovations' clients will now gain access to TicketManager's powerful technology, analytics, and expanded suite of integrations that make client entertainment simple, compliant, and measurable. 'Ovations is a trailblazer in our industry and we're excited to welcome the team, and their loyal customers, to the TicketManager community,' said Tony Knopp, CEO and Co-Founder of TicketManager. 'We've built the largest and most connected network of companies and teams that understand the power of client entertainment, and are focused on using it to drive real business results.' For more than 20 years, Ovations has supported companies in managing their ticketing, hospitality, and sponsorship assets with an emphasis on compliance, approval workflows, and detailed reporting. Its client roster includes global financial institutions, top consumer brands, and major media organizations. As part of the transition, members of the Ovations team have joined TicketManager's award-winning organization to ensure uninterrupted service and consistent support for clients. This acquisition reinforces TicketManager's dedication to helping companies provide seamless client experiences and maximize ROI from corporate entertainment and follows the 2021 acquisition of ticket and guest management firm Sports Systems. 'We're just getting started,' said Knopp. 'Stay tuned for some big news in the coming weeks as we work to make live events easy and prove the ROI for companies, and events, of all sizes.' About TicketManager: TicketManager is a leading event- and guest-management platform that empowers companies to make client entertainment easy and drive greater return on investment. It offers convenient and simple technology to manage corporate sports and entertainment tickets, create exceptional guest life-cycle experiences, and measure effectiveness. TicketManager is trusted by more than 500 global brands including Verizon, FedEx, Adidas, Anheuser-Busch, and Mastercard. It is an official partner of numerous professional and collegiate sports organizations, including franchises in the National Football League, National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, and programs throughout the National Collegiate Athletics Association. For more information visit
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Further cat food recalled amid bird flu concerns with more cats falling ill
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) has issued another raw cat food recall amid the ongoing bird flu outbreak in the US. Almost two weeks after the first voluntary recall of Wild Coast Raw food, two cats in different households in Washington tested positive for bird flu. One cat was euthanized, while the other had to spend time under veterinary care. Two lots of raw food products from Wild Coast Raw came under the voluntary recall, but it's not known whether the cases in Washington are linked to the recalled items or not. Now, Wild Coast has recalled further products, identified by lot numbers #22653, #22641, #22639, and #22672, all with a best-buy date of December 2025, along with #22660 and #22664 – as they all share similar production dates. The recalled products are all in small round white plastic containers with green labels. Two of Christine Knopp's 11 cats had to be euthanized after eating raw pet food, with another requiring a stay in intensive care. All of the cats who had eaten raw pet food later tested positive, with only one, who was kept apart from the others and fed canned food, remaining negative. Knopp, who lives in Portland, Oregon, and breeds and shows Cornish Rex cats, has fed her pets raw cat food for years, and believed that the Wild Coast food was being testing for bird flu. She told The Guardian, 'I've since learned, I don't think there's really a safe way to trust if someone says they're testing it,' she said. She's now switched to canned food for all of her cats. The USFDA, meanwhile, told cat parents: 'People who fed pets the recalled products should watch for symptoms of bird flu in their pets, including fever, lethargy, low appetite, reddened or inflamed eyes, discharge from the eyes and nose, difficulty breathing, and neurological signs like tremors, stiff body movements, seizure, lack of coordination, or blindness. People with pets exhibiting these signs after feeding this product should contact their veterinarian.' Here are 11 more signs to take your cat to the vet, too, because it's always best to err on the side of caution. No human infections have been identified as a result of handling the recalled products, but people should wash their hands after handling raw pet food and sanitize contact surfaces. 'People who handled contaminated products should watch for symptoms of bird flu, including eye redness or irritation (conjunctivitis), cough, sore throat, sneezing, runny/stuffy nose, muscle/body aches, headaches, fatigue, fever, trouble breathing, seizures, rash, diarrhea, nausea, and/or vomiting,' per USFDA advice. Looking to swap your cat's food? Here's our guide to the best dry cat foods on the market
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Second US company recalls pet food as bird flu spreads to cats through tainted meat
As the bird flu outbreak continues gaining force in the US, a second company selling raw pet food issued a voluntary recall after cats from two different households in Oregon contracted H5N1 from the tainted meat earlier this month. Two more cats in different households in Washington state have tested positive for bird flu after eating the same brand of raw pet food nearly two weeks after the recall, officials announced on Wednesday. One cat was euthanized, while the other remains under veterinary care. Two lots of the raw food, made by Wild Coast Raw, fall under the voluntary recall. It is not clear whether the new cases in Washington are linked to recalled lots or others. Related: Two people in US hospitalized with bird flu, CDC reports Since 2022 in the US, nearly 100 domestic cats have tested positive for bird flu, which can be fatal, and it may be possible for cats to transmit the virus to humans. On 6 February, Christine 'Kiki' Knopp noticed one of her 11 cats was running a slight fever. Within days, two of her cats had to be euthanized, and a third was in an intensive care unit. All of the cats that had eaten raw pet food would later test positive for bird flu. Only a male cat kept apart from the others and fed canned food stayed negative. Knopp is an artist in Portland, Oregon, who breeds and shows Cornish Rex cats. She has fed raw food to all but the male cat for years, and watched recent notices about tainted raw pet food carefully. She believed the food from Wild Coast was being tested for H5N1. 'I've since learned, I don't think there's really a safe way to trust if someone says they're testing it,' she said. Wild Coast did not respond to the Guardian's media inquiries about why the company waited a week to issue a voluntary recall after being notified of possible contamination, and whether it was reaching out to vendors and customers about the recall. If Knopp had known, she would have 'immediately' switched to canned food – a move she now recommends to all cat owners who were feeding raw food they bought or made on their own. 'It is not safe,' she said. 'Immediately: do not feed raw poultry or raw chicken, raw any table scraps, to cats currently – not even raw eggs.' Raw milk is similarly risky, since milk can contain enormous amounts of virus, and raw beef has also been found to harbor H5N1. 'Especially right now, feeding raw food is just all risk,' said Steve Valeika, a small-animal veterinarian with a public health background. H5N1 joins a host of other pathogens – including salmonella, E coli, campylobacter, listeria and toxoplasmosis – that have been associated with raw pet food. One of the most unnerving parts for Knopp: her cats never displayed the classic symptoms of respiratory infections, like congestion. Some of the cats had fevers, rapid breathing and eyelid swelling, and one eventually had difficulty walking – a sign of neurological impairment. But nothing pointed to influenza until X-rays revealed two of the cats with rapid breathing had developed severe pneumonia. That's when they tested for bird flu. 'Your average person probably wouldn't take them to the vet with a minor fever that comes and goes,' Knopp said. 'Your average person might not notice a sudden increase of breath rate, especially for a cat that's maybe more reclusive. So I wonder how many cases are also under-reported.' Knopp was concerned that she might become infected and spread the virus herself. 'I don't want to be known as 'Bird Flu Mary',' she said. Her local health department conducted daily symptom check-ins, she started wearing face masks when she went out in public, and she requested a test to see if she had gotten sick. The result was negative for influenza A and B. In 2016, cats in a New York City shelter transmitted H7N2 to at least one person. 'We know that cats can at least transmit another strain of bird flu directly to people,' Valeika said. 'I do think these cats potentially present some risk to humans. We don't have any idea how big that risk is, but it's definitely one that should be taken seriously until we know better.' It is not clear how tainted poultry is entering the raw pet food supply. All facilities processing meat for humans are inspected by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). While some meat intended for pets flows through FSIS-inspected facilities, 'obviously, a great deal of protein is produced outside of FSIS-inspected facilities and is never intended for human consumption', said Eric Deeble, deputy under-secretary for marketing and regulatory programs at the USDA, on 16 January during the last call health officials held with reporters. US officials were investigating whether any of the H5-positive pet products had gone through such a facility, he said, though no results have been released to the public yet. 'Birds from affected flocks that are depopulated as part of USDA's efforts to control H5N1 are not permitted in any food product at all,' Deeble said. Valeika added that he had 'no good idea as to why we're seeing so many sick birds making it into the [pet] food supply – because this must just be the tip of the iceberg'. There are other steps pet owners can take to protect animals, and themselves, from bird flu, Valeika said: don't let cats outside, and don't let dogs hunt or play with birds, including in ponds and lakes frequented by migratory birds. Mice and rats, especially near dairy and poultry farms, have also tested positive for H5N1. Knopp has been posting about her experiences and holding 'ask me anything' sessions about cats and bird flu on social media. 'I've channeled a lot of grief into work and into education,' she said. For the two cats who were euthanized, she said, 'their death gets to mean something. It can save other animals. It can save some people grief.'
The Guardian
28-02-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Second US company recalls pet food as bird flu spreads to cats through tainted meat
As the bird flu outbreak continues gaining force in the US, a second company selling raw pet food issued a voluntary recall after cats from two different households in Oregon contracted H5N1 from the tainted meat earlier this month. Two more cats in different households in Washington state have tested positive for bird flu after eating the same brand of raw pet food nearly two weeks after the recall, officials announced on Wednesday. One cat was euthanized, while the other remains under veterinary care. Two lots of the raw food, made by Wild Coast Raw, fall under the voluntary recall. It's not clear whether the new cases in Washington are linked to recalled lots or others. Since 2022 in the US, nearly 100 domestic cats have tested positive for bird flu, which can be fatal, and it may be possible for cats to transmit the virus to humans. On 6 February, Christine 'KikI' Knopp noticed one of her 11 cats was running a slight fever. Within days, two of her cats had to be euthanized, and a third was in an intensive care unit. All of the cats that had eaten raw pet food would later test positive for bird flu. Only a male cat kept apart from the others and fed canned food stayed negative. Knopp is an artist in Portland, Oregon, who breeds and shows Cornish Rex cats. She has fed raw food to all but the male cat for years, and watched recent notices about tainted raw pet food carefully. She believed the food from Wild Coast was being tested for H5N1. 'I've since learned, I don't think there's really a safe way to trust if someone says they're testing it,' she said. Wild Coast did not respond to the Guardian's media inquiries about why the company waited a week to issue a voluntary recall after being notified of possible contamination, and whether it was reaching out to vendors and customers about the recall. If Knopp had known, she would have 'immediately' switched to canned food – a move she now recommends to all cat owners who were feeding raw food they bought or made on their own. 'It is not safe,' she said. 'Immediately: do not feed raw poultry or raw chicken, raw any table scraps, to cats currently – not even raw eggs.' Raw milk is similarly risky, since milk can contain enormous amounts of virus, and raw beef has also been found to harbor H5N1. 'Especially right now, feeding raw food is just all risk,' said Steve Valeika, a small-animal veterinarian with a public health background. H5N1 joins a host of other pathogens – including salmonella, E coli, campylobacter, listeria and toxoplasmosis – that have been associated with raw pet food. One of the most unnerving parts for Knopp: her cats never displayed the classic symptoms of respiratory infections, like congestion. Some of the cats had fevers, rapid breathing and eyelid swelling, and one eventually had difficulty walking – a sign of neurological impairment. But nothing pointed to influenza until X-rays revealed two of the cats with rapid breathing had developed severe pneumonia. That's when they tested for bird flu. 'Your average person probably wouldn't take them to the vet with a minor fever that comes and goes,' Knopp said. 'Your average person might not notice a sudden increase of breath rate, especially for a cat that's maybe more reclusive. So I wonder how many cases are also under-reported.' Knopp was concerned that she might become infected and spread the virus herself. Sign up to Headlines US Get the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion 'I don't want to be known as 'Bird Flu Mary',' she said. Her local health department conducted daily symptom check-ins, she started wearing face masks when she went out in public, and she requested a test to see if she had gotten sick. The result was negative for influenza A and B. In 2016, cats in a New York City shelter transmitted H7N2 to at least one person. 'We know that cats can at least transmit another strain of bird flu directly to people,' Valeika said. 'I do think these cats potentially present some risk to humans. We don't have any idea how big that risk is, but it's definitely one that should be taken seriously until we know better.' It's not clear how tainted poultry is entering the raw pet food supply. All facilities processing meat for humans are inspected by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). While some meat intended for pets flows through FSIS-inspected facilities, 'obviously, a great deal of protein is produced outside of FSIS-inspected facilities and is never intended for human consumption', said Eric Deeble, deputy under-secretary for marketing and regulatory programs at the USDA, on 16 January during the last call health officials held with reporters. US officials were investigating whether any of the H5-positive pet products had gone through such a facility, he said, though no results have been released to the public yet. 'Birds from affected flocks that are depopulated as part of USDA's efforts to control H5N1 are not permitted in any food product at all,' Deeble said. Valeika added that he had 'no good idea as to why we're seeing so many sick birds making it into the [pet] food supply – because this must just be the tip of the iceberg'. There are other steps pet owners can take to protect animals, and themselves, from bird flu, Valeika said: don't let cats outside, and don't let dogs hunt or play with birds, including in ponds and lakes frequented by migratory birds. Mice and rats, especially near dairy and poultry farms, have also tested positive for H5N1. Knopp has been posting about her experiences and holding 'ask me anything' sessions about cats and bird flu on social media. 'I've channeled a lot of grief into work and into education,' she said. For the two cats who were euthanized, she said, 'their death gets to mean something. It can save other animals. It can save some people grief.'
