Tainted pet food can also sicken children, report says

Think pet food won’t harm your children?
Think again.

Several brands of dog chow have been recalled in recent years because of potential salmonella contamination. At first, inspectors thought only animals were at risk. But now, a new report says that humans can be sickened by tainted pet food, too.

“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,” said Casey Barton Behravesh, a researcher at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to the report, 79 people (mostly children) were sickened by contaminated pet food between 2006 and 2008.

There’s no proof that they got sick by actually eating the pet food, Behravesh said. Instead, they probably just touched dirty pet food dishes and then put their hands in their mouths, she said.
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To reduce your family’s salmonella risk, Behravesh says you should:
1. Wash your hands after touching pets, pet food and pet bowls.
2. Keep pet food bowls and feeding areas clean.
3. Keep young children away from feeding areas.
4. Clean pets’ food and water dishes in a separate sink (not in the kitchen or bathtub.)
5. Do not bathe infants in the kitchen sink.

Posted by Janel Jacobs