[ SHOWGSD-L ] Contaminated Kibble Sickens people
- From: Kay Springer <showgsd@xxxxxxx>
- To: showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 3 May 2012 19:35:05 -0700
The last information regarding contaminated Diamond Pet Foods making
people sick.
Kay Springer
Posted by: foodbuglady | May 3, 2012
Contaminated Kibble Sickens 14 People
Multiple brands of dry pet food produced by Diamond Pet Foods at their
Gaston, South Carolina manufacturing facility has been linked to
fourteen Salmonella infections in nine states, according to CDC. Five
people were hospitalized.
There is no indication as to how many dogs may have become infected.
The 14 confirmed outbreak cases were reported by Alabama (1),
Connecticut (1), Michigan (1), Missouri (3), North Carolina (3), New
Jersey (1), Ohio (2), Pennsylvania (1), and Virginia (1). More than
three-fourths (77%) of the victims are female. The outbreak patients
range in age from less than one year to 82 years old (median 48 years).
All 14 individuals were infected with a single rare strain of
Salmonella Infantis. The outbreak strain was found in unopened bags of
three different dry dog foods manufactured at the Gaston facility.
It was a routine test carried out by the Michigan Department of
Agriculture and Rural Development that first pointed the finger at
Diamond Pet Foods. On April 2nd, the agency?s lab found Salmonella in
an unopened bag of Diamond Naturals Lamb Meal & Rice dry dog food that
had been collected from a retail location on march 14th. CDC?s
PulseNet system made the connection between the genetic strain
recovered from the dog food and the strain of Salmonella Infantis that
had sickened a number of people.
Interviews of the outbreak patients established that 70% of them had
been in contact with a dog in the week before becoming ill. Four out
of five people who could remember the type of dog food they had
contacted identified a dog food produced by Diamond Pet Foods.
Ohio, which reported two outbreak cases, was responsible for finding
the outbreak strain from an opened package of Chicken Soup for the Pet
Lover?s Soul Adult Light Formula dry dog food collected from a
patient?s home, and from an unopened bag of the same product obtained
from a retail store. FDA found Salmonella in a sample of Diamond Puppy
Formula obtained during an inspection of the Gaston manufacturing plant.
On April 6th, Diamond Pet Foods recalled a single production batch of
Diamond Naturals Lamb Meal & Rice, due to ?potential? contamination
with Salmonella. The recall notice assured consumers that ?[n]o
illnesses have been reported and no other Diamond manufactured
products are affected.?
The company expanded its recall on April 26th to include one
production run of Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover?s Soul Adult Light
Formula. This time, the company acknowledged that one bag of the dry
dog food had tested positive for Salmonella. And instead of its
previous blanket assurance, Diamond told consumers that ?[n]o dog
illnesses have been reported.? Four days later, Diamond added a
limited number of production codes of Diamond Puppy Formula to the
recall list, again assuring that no dog illnesses had been reported.
Delivery of products manufactured at Diamond Pet Food?s Gaston
location has been suspended since April 8th. Although the company
hasn?t specifically said so, it?s likely that production also has been
suspended while FDA carries out its plant investigation. That
investigation will include environmental sampling in the production
and warehouse areas, as well as additional finished product and
ingredient tests. I would be very surprised if the recall is not
expanded to include all dry dog food manufactured at the Gaston plant
over the last several months.
This is not the first time that Salmonella-contaminated dry dog food
has been the source of human illnesses. Pet food produced in the
Pennsylvania manufacturing plant of Mars Petcare US was responsible
for a three-year long outbreak of Salmonella Schwarzengrund
infections, beginning in 2006.
Dry dog food ? kibble ? is not a sterile product. As we have been
reminded by this outbreak, it can be contaminated with Salmonella and
should be handled with the same care as is used when handling other
potentially contaminated foods, such as raw meats and poultry.
CDC offers this advice to pet owners:
Consumers should check their homes for recalled dog food products and
discard them promptly. Consumers with questions about recalled dog
food may contact Diamond Pet Foods at telephone number (800) 442-0402
or visit www.diamondpetrecall.com.
Follow the tips listed on Salmonella from Dry Pet Food and Treats to
help prevent an infection with Salmonella from handling dry pet food
and treats.
People who think they might have become ill after contact with dry pet
food or with an animal that has eaten dry pet food should consult
their health care providers. Infants, older adults, and persons with
impaired immune systems are more likely than others to develop severe
illness.
People who think their animal might have become ill after eating dry
pet food should consult their veterinary-care providers.
Read Additional Information for Pet Owners to learn the signs and
symptoms of salmonellosis in dogs and cats, and to understand how to
deal with possible Salmonella illness in your pet.
Also, be aware that dogs may be infected with Salmonella - and may
shed the bacteria in their stool ? without showing any outward
symptoms of illness. If your pet has consumed a Diamond Pet Foods dry
dog food, be especially careful to wash your hands after handling it,
and supervise closely any interaction between children and your pet.
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