CDC Links Human Salmonella Outbreak to Tainted Dog Food

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 14 people in nine states have purportedly been stricken with a Salmonella strain identical to that found in “multiple brands of dry pet food produced by Diamond Pet Foods at a single manufacturing facility in South Carolina.” CDC’s May 3, 2012, announcement indicates that the strain, Salmonella infantis, is rare and could have infected humans after contact with dry pet food or with an animal that has eaten it. Five of those afflicted have apparently been hospitalized. The Salmonella was first detected by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development during a routine retail testing of dry pet food, and the company has voluntarily recalled three of its dry dog food products since then.