The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has announced that in 2004-2005 nine people in the U.S. and Canada were infected with salmonella bacteria after handling pet treats made from raw beef and salmon. The cases were reported from Washington state and western Canada. The CDC believes there may have been hundreds of additional cases that were not reported.
The CDC investigated the British Columbia and Washington plants where the pet treats were made. They found that irradiation or heat treatment to destroy microorganisms was not used during the processing of pet treats.
"Pet treat manufacturers, retailers, health-care providers, public health authorities, veterinarians, and consumers should be aware of the potential for animal-derived pet treats to serve as a source of salmonella-related illness in humans," the CDC states in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
To prevent infection from pet treats, the CDC recommends the following:
1. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling meat or fish-derived pet treats.
2. Avoid contact with meat or fish-derived pet treats if you are at increased risk for infection or serious complications from food poisoning from salmonella (including children under 5, older adults, and people with weak immune systems).
3. Pet owners should be provided information about the potential health risks of meat- or fish-derived pet treats and salmonellosis prevention by pet store owners, health care providers, veterinarians, and pet treat manufacturers.
4. Pet treat manufacturers should destroy salmonella and other bacteria during the processing of pet treats through an additional processing step (such as heat treatment or irradiation). Pet treat manufacturers should provide labels containing product information.
REFERENCES:
1. CDC, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, June 30, 2006; vol 55 no. 25: pp 702-705.
ttp://www.cdc.gov/MMWR/PDF/wk/mm5525.pdf
Posted by Elaine Gavalas on November 21, 2006 04:20 PM
