Pet food sickens people across U.S.

United States, November 7, 2008- Pet lovers get ready to digest a stark truth! While feeding your pet, don’t forget to pay special care to yourself as you handle dry pet food as it may be tainted with deadly bacteria called salmonella, experts say.

Salmonella is rod-shaped Gram-negative enterobacteria (scientific name of salmonella) and is responsible for causing typhoid fever, paratyphoid fever, and foodborne illness (or food poisoning).

Salmonella infection may cause Salmonellosis which is characterized by
diarrhea, fever, vomiting, and abdominal cramps. These symptoms appear within 12 to 72 hours after infection. Usually the illness due to this infection lasts 3 to 7 days while in severe cases hospitalization may be inevitable.

As per the statistics collected by CDC, this year about eight people were infected and sickened by salmonella which is present in dry pet food. But this is not the first incidence of salmonella infection, since 2006 a total of 71 people have fallen ill due to salmonella infection in the U.S.

Mars Petcare, located in Everson, Pa permanently shut down the plant that was used to manufacture pet food due to Salmonella enterobacteria serotype Salmonella schwarzengrund’s outbreak. In fact, in September the food produced at the plant was recalled. It was a voluntary recall and the recall was announced by Mars Petcare within U.S.

After the recently reported cases, CDC has raised an alarm that more cases of salmonella infection may come up because most people are unaware of the fact that dry pet food has one year shelf life only. There is a probability that people ignorant of this fact may have contaminated products in their homes which can infect them and their pet as well. CDC suggests that such recalled food must be disposed of immediately.

The CDC has enlisted few precautions which must be adhered to while handling dry pet foods, pet treats, and pet supplements like washing hands with warm water and soap right after handling all kinds of dry pet foods or pets/animal feces; keeping infants and children away from pet feeding areas and preventing children younger than 5 to touch or eat dry pet food, treats, or supplements.

The CDC states in its report called Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report that canned pet food is the safest option. According to the CDC, canned food is safe as it is least likely to be contaminated with pathogens because during the canning procedure it is made sure to completely eliminate bacterial contamination.