Your Pet's Food Could Pose a Health Risk

There have been six pet food recalls issued this year by manufacturers because of possible salmonella contamination, according to the Food and Drug Administration. However, the FDA says there have been no reported salmonella illnesses linked to pet food since an outbreak in 2006-08. A study about the 2006-2008 outbreak was published online Monday by the medical journal Pediatrics, which stated that the outbreak caused sickness in 79 people in 21 states, between 2006 and 2008. Almost half of the victims were children aged 2 and younger. The outbreak was caused by salmonella bacteria found in several brands of dry dog and cat food, including Pedigree and Special Kitty, all linked back to the Mars Petcare US production plant in Pennsylvania.

Casey Barton Behravesh, the author of the report from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says "Dry pet foods are an under-recognized source of salmonella infections in humans, and it's likely other illnesses since then were unknowingly caused by tainted pet food". Behravesh went on to say, "While young children were most often affected, there's no evidence that they got sick by eating pet food. They probably became infected by touching affected animals or dirty pet food dishes, and then putting their hands in their mouths".

"It's a tough thing because pets are not symptomatic like we are and can shed this [salmonella] for up to 10 to 12 weeks" in their feces, said Dr. Peter Richel, chief of pediatrics at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mt. Kisco, N.Y. "It is a little disconcerting to hear that otherwise benign-appearing pet food can pose any risk at all."

Symptoms of salmonellosis reported during the outbreak included bloody diarrhea and fever. Although 11 people were reportedly hospitalized during the outbreak, there were no deaths reported. Investigators found salmonella bacteria in stool samples from pets who ate the tainted food but no pets were reported to develop symptoms related to salmonella.

According to Jill Franks, company regulatory director of Mars Pet Care US, the company subsequently recalled pet food made at the plant during the outbreak and improved training and testing practices at its 17 U.S. plants after the investigation failed to reveal any underlying cause of the contamination. Heating of the food during the manufacturing process generally kills salmonella but Behravesh said contamination may have occurred during a later process.

"The public should not be unduly worried about pet food as a source of salmonella. Companies are very vigilant and in rare occasions when it occurs, products are pulled off the market," says Duane Ekedahl, president of the Pet Food Institute.

The authors of the study advise pediatricians to ask about contact with pets when evaluating infectious disease symptoms, and also recommend that parents be aware of possible contamination when children are in contact with pets and pet food. They recommend the following precautions to reduce infection:

--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.

This new study, "re-emphasizes the importance of washing your hands whenever you deal with anything from a pet, including petting him, touching his mouth or cleaning up after him, especially for children whose immune systems are very weak in comparison to adults," said Dr. Philip Tierno, clinical professor of microbiology and pathology at New York University Langone Medical Center in New York City and author of The Secret Life of Germs. "Hand washing is the single most important thing anyone can do to protect their health, and that's within everyone's purview if you teach them," Tierno said. "You can do that and not be afraid."

This report highlights the need for parents/pet owners to emphasize hygiene to their children, especially around pets and pet foods. Most people do not consider pet food a source for illnesses, this report illustrates that possibility. For more information about salmonella, visit the CDC website.