A Texas pet food manufacturer is vastly expanding a recall to include dozens of different types of dry dog and cat food potentially contaminated with salmonella that has sickened at least seven people – six of them infants.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are investigating the outbreak, the agencies said Thursday.
Mid America Pet Food is now recalling all brands of pet food the company makes, including 35 different products with expiration dates before Oct. 31, 2024, and produced at its plant in Mount Pleasant, Texas, the company said in a news release.
The recalled brands include Victor super premium dog food, Wayne Feeds dog food, Eagle Mountain pet food and some Member’s Mark varieties distributed to retailers nationwide.
The move follows two earlier recalls, the first in early September involving one lot of Victor brand Hi-Pro Plus dog food and the second 10 days ago involving three lots of Victor super premium dog food, Select Beef Meal & Brown Rice Formula.
The initial recalls came after random testing found salmonella, which can sicken pets and people who come into contact with them.
When two or more people get the same illness from the same contaminated food or drink, it is considered an outbreak, according to the CDC.
Seven illnesses, including one hospitalization, linked to a specific lot of Victor brand Hi-Pro Plus dry dog food have been reported in seven states: Alabama, California, Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky, Minnesota and Oklahoma, the CDC said. People began getting sick in mid-January and illnesses continued into August, according to the agency, which said the actual number of people sickened in the outbreak is likely much higher than reported.
“People likely got sick by touching this dog food, touching things like dog bowls that contained this dog food, or touching the feces or saliva of dogs that were fed this dog food,” the CDC said, noting that most of those sickened were infants.
Salmonella bacteria cause an estimated 1.3 million infections in Americans each year, resulting in an average of more than 26,000 hospitalizations and 420 deaths, according to CDC data.
Pets infected with Salmonella may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Some may lose appetite and have abdominal pain. Humans can experience similar symptoms and in some cases more serious symptoms, according to the FDA.
People should dispose of the recalled pet food in a way that children, pets and wildlife can’t reach it, as well as wash pet bowls and storage containers, the agency advised.
The recall is among more than half a dozen this year of pet foods found to contain salmonella or potentially harmful elevated levels of vitamins.
