Tainted Pet Food Linked to Rare Salmonella Infection

The news about these studies hit all of the news services and health organization sites today.

Young Children and Elderly,  Are at Risk of Salmonella Infection From Direct or Indirect Contact With Pets

Aug. 9, 2010 -- Pet food can be a source of salmonella infection, and millions of families, particularly young children, may be at risk of becoming sick if pet food is not properly handled and stored in the home, according to research conducted by the CDC and several state departments of health.



Human salmonella infections linked to dry pet food had not been reported prior to a three-year outbreak in 2006-2008. Overall, Salmonella enterica causes 1.4 million illnesses and 400 deaths every year nationwide. Although the most common source of human infection is ingestion of contaminated water or food, infection can also occur through direct or indirect contact with pets.



One type of Salmonella enterica is called Salmonella Schwarzengrund, which is not common and accounts for only 0.4% of all human salmonella infections per year. Federal and state researchers examined a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Schwarzengrund that occurred from 2006 to 2008. They conducted one case-controlled study to evaluate household exposures to pet food and a second study to examine the risk factors for transmitting salmonella among children. In the United States, 37% of households have dogs and 32% have cats, and many pets are fed dry pet food, which includes animal ingredients such as liver, beef, or fish.



Researchers compared households where there was a case of infection to geographically matched households where there was no infection.Participants were interviewed and also filled out questionnaires about their contact with animals, use of pet food, brand of pet food used, and pet-feeding practices.


Salmonella in Pet Food

Among the researchers’ findings:

• More than 23,000 tons of dry dog and cat pet foods from more than 100 different brands were recalled during the time covered by the study.

•Of patients infected during the time of the study  nearly half, 48%, were children aged 2 or younger. Symptoms included bloody diarrhea and fever. Some patients were hospitalized. No deaths were reported.


• Illnesses among infants were significantly associated with feeding pets in the kitchen, but, interestingly, there was no association between salmonella contamination and children putting pet food in their mouths. Illness in case households was strongly associated with contact with a dog.


• The results were published in the September issue of Pediatrics and were released today online.

The researchers note that dry pet food has a long shelf life and that Salmonella may have remained in some households even after the pet foods were recalled. According to the report, since 2006 the FDA has announced at least 13 recalls of 135 pet food products due to salmonella contamination.

The authors recommend that pet owners and their families regularly wash their hands after interacting with pets and pet food products and routinely keep a pet’s food and water bowls cleaned and disinfected. The bowls should not be cleaned in the same kitchen sinks or bathtubs where children are bathed, the researchers said, because of the risk of cross contamination.

Facts released in the reports:

*Salmonella, a food-borne illness, can be serious in infants and the elderly.

*The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that contact with pets and contact with the pet's environment -- their bed and where they eat and sleep, for example -- can result in human infections

*Feeding pets in the kitchen quadrupled the risk of illness.

*Bacterium multiply either on the floor of the kitchen, or people don't clean their dog bowls

*Studies emphasize the importance of washing your hands whenever you deal with anything from a pet, including petting them, touching their mouth or cleaning up after them , especially for children and elderly whose immune systems are weak in comparison to most adults.

*An important precaution is to have well-packaged, well-stored pet food, keeping it out of the reach of infants and toddlers,.


To reduce infection risks at home, they also recommend:

_washing hands after contact with pets, pet food and pet bowls.

_routinely cleaning pet food bowls and feeding areas.

_keeping children younger than age 5 away from pet food and feeding areas.

_cleaning pets' food and water dishes in a separate sink or tub, not in the kitchen or bathtub.

_avoiding bathing infants in the kitchen sink.