It's not just cats and dogs who are getting sick with salmonella due to recalled Pedigree, Special Kitty and a dozen other tainted pet food brands.
The United States Center for Disease Control (CDC) has announced that at least 79 human salmonella cases have been linked to salmonella-tainted pet food since 2006.
The Pet Food Salmonella Outbreak
"Epidemiologic and environmental investigations have suggested the source of the outbreak was dry pet food produced by one manufacturer, Mars Petcare US," said an official CDC announcement, dated November 7, 2008.
The CDC says that eight humans have tested positive for a strain of salmonella called Salmonella Schwarzengrund which has been linked to recalled pet foods like Pedigree, Special Kitty and several other brands that were manufactured at the Mars Petcare U.S. Everson, Pennsylvania factory.
"On September 12, 2008, [Mars Petcare] announced a nationwide voluntary recall of all dry dog and cat food products produced during a 5-month period at one Pennsylvania plant....Contaminated products identified in recalls might still be in the homes of purchasers and could cause illness. Persons who have these products should not use them to feed their pets but should discard them or return them to the store," the CDC advised.
Notably, the Mars Petcare manufacturing plant that was the source of the recalled pet food and subsequent human and pet salmonella outbreak will remain closed.
Identifying Recalled Pedigree, Special Kitty and Other Recalled Pet Foods
More than a dozen dry dog food and cat food brands are affected by this nationwide recall. These recalled pet food brands are as follows:
- Pedigree
- Ol' Roy
- Retriever
- Paws & Claws
- Member's Mark
- Natural Dog Food
- Natural Cat Food
- Doggy Bag
- PMI Nutrition
- Red Flannel
- PetPride
- Special Kitty
- Country Acres
- Wegman's Bruiser
- Wegman's Buju & Ziggie
To determine if a bag of pet food is affected, pet owners should look at the UPC Code.
For Pedigree, the code under the "Best Before" date (located near the UPC code) will have the letters “PAE” on the bottom line, as the the sixth, seventh and eighth digits.
For all other brands named in the recall, the code under the "Best Before" date (located near the UPC code) will have the number “17” as the first two digits of the second line in the code.
Symptoms of Salmonella
The symtoms of salmonella in humans are essentially the same; symptoms include:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Stomache Ache
- Dehydration
- Lethargy
- Bloody Diarrhea
- Bloody Vomit
If salmonella is suspected, it's vital to visit a health care professional as soon as possible. Salmonella is among the few illnesses that can be transmitted between humans and pets, so humans can contract salmonella from pets and vice versa. Timely treatment and diagnosis is vital to prevent the spread of salmonella.
How to Avoid Contracting Salmonella When Handling Recalled Pet Food
The CDC is urging pet owners to take the following precautions when handling recalled pet food, pet supplements, pet treats and any other pet food products that may possibly be contaminated with salmonella.
- Wash hands with anti-bacterial soap for 20 full seconds and rinse with warm water and soap immediately after handling pet food items or pet feces.
- Keep small children away from pet feeding areas to limit exposure to salmonella.
- Monitor small children, who may touch or eat dry pet food or other pet food products.
- Dispose of recalled pet food and disinfect pet food containers, pet food dishes and other items that have contacted the potentially contaminated pet food.
Check out the Pet Food Recall Page for additional information concerning the pet food recalls for Pedigree, Special Kitty and a dozen other brands of pet food, or for additional information on salmonella in pets and how to safely handle and dispose of recalled dog food and cat food.
Mia Carter - Mia Carter - Journalist, Producer/Editor & Web Writer. Carter's work has appeared on CBS and CNN.com.
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