Top line
The FDA announced an updated recall of more pet food brands after six children and one adult became ill with salmonella, and the CDC believes they became infected by handling the food or containers on which food has been placed, or touching the saliva or feces of domestic animals that have eaten the food.
Basic Facts
Mid America Pet Foods, a Texas-based pet food manufacturer, is expanding its voluntary recall to include dozens of dry dog and cat foods after they were linked to a salmonella outbreak in humans, according to an alert Thursday by the Food and Drug Administration.
The FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are investigating seven cases of people infected with salmonella in seven states as of November 1 that resulted in one hospitalization; six cases involved children one year and younger.
The recalled brands include Eagle Mountain Pet Food, Wayne Feeds Dog Food, Victor Super Premium Dog Foods and some member’s Mark varieties.
A sample of Victor brand Hi-Pro Plus dry dog food collected and tested by South Carolina state agencies matched the salmonella strain found in seven sick people, according to the alert.
The manufacturer urges customers to destroy and discard all food with a best-before date of October 31, 2024 produced at its facility in Mount Pleasant, Texas, and to wash and sanitize all bowls, cups , and pet food container, according to a statement.
This is an expansion of two previous recalls on September 3 and October 30, which included one lot of Victor brand Hi-Pro Plus dog food and three lots of Victor super Premium Dog Food, Select Beef Meal & Brown Rice Formula, according to respectively.
Big Numbers
1.35 million. That’s how many people are infected with salmonella each year in the US, the CDC reports. Although most symptoms go away on their own, more than 26,000 people are hospitalized with salmonella, and 420 people die each year.
Key Background
Those affected by this outbreak likely became ill from handling the recalled food, items that contained the food, such as food bowls, or touching feces or saliva of animals that ate the food, the CDC reports. Salmonella infection is a common bacterial disease that affects the intestines. People usually become infected by eating raw meat or eggs, drinking unpasteurized milk, eating food that has touched contaminated surfaces, or eating improperly washed vegetables. Young children are more likely to develop serious salmonella infections because of their weak and developing immune systems. Most people have symptoms such as diarrhea, fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and headache that last between four and seven days. Pets do not always show symptoms, but symptoms in dogs include dehydration, fever, bloody diarrhea, severe, sudden and watery diarrhea, lethargy and loss of appetite, with or without weight loss . These symptoms are also present in cats, but shock, anorexia, skin disease, mucus in the stool, abnormally fast heart rate, abnormal vaginal discharge, swollen lymph nodes, blood loss and infections non-intestinal are also signs of salmonella in cats.
Tangent
It’s the latest of more than a dozen pet foods linked to or potentially linked to salmonella this year. The most recent, unrelated recall occurred on October 27 and affected Blue Ridge Beef dog food products after they were found to be contaminated. The products were distributed between August 9 and August 25, and sold in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia. No illness was reported.
Further Reading
Blue Ridge Beef recalls dog food over salmonella contamination (CBS News)
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