Published on May 5th, 2012 | by Kim LaCapria
0Salmonella in Dog Food Sickens 14 Humans, Prompts Five Hospitalizations
Fourteen humans have been sickened and five have been hospitalized after a salmonella outbreak traced to dry dog food.
The strain of salmonella linked to Diamond brand dog food has caused illness in nine states: Alabama, Connecticut, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Due to the long shelf life and lack of direct consumption by humans, the outbreak has persisted for a long time. The first illness was reported back in October, and the most recent hospitalization due to the dog food salmonella outbreak was at the end of April.
The dog food brand linked to the salmonella outbreak has issued three separate recalls in an attempt to prevent more humans from falling ill after handling the product. CDC spokeswoman Lisa Russell explained:
“People who became ill, the thing that was common among them was that they had fed their pets Diamond Pet Foods… Our folks are really wanting people to be aware of it. They want to be aware that this is causing people to get sick because they may have product in their homes. For every one that is reported, there may be 29 others.”
All the dog food affected by the salmonella outbreak originated from the same plant in South Carolina, and the company reports the facility is now up and running after corrective measures were taken.