Mid America Pet Food, a company based in Mount Pleasant, Texas, has expanded a recall to include more pet food products that may be contaminated with Salmonella bacteria.
The expanded recall involves more dog and cat food with best-by dates before October 31, 2023, including Victor®, Eagle Mountain®, Wayne Feeds® and two varieties of Member’s Mark® pet food.
As of November 1, there were 7 people who were infected with Salmonella Kiambu, including 6 infants, according to the FDA.
“People in this outbreak got sick from touching recalled dog food, touching things like dog bowls that contained the dog food, or touching the poop or saliva of dogs that were fed the dog food,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The illnesses were reported in California, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Florida, Alabama and Hawaii between January 2023 and August 2023. One person was hospitalized.
Tests on a sample of Victor® Hi-Pro Plus dry dog food also tested positive for the outbreak strain of Salmonella, according to health officials in South Carolina.
Salmonella is a bacteria that can cause a severe gastrointestinal illness in children under 5 years old. The symptoms typically include diarrhea, fever, and stomach pain.
In some people, the diarrhea is so severe that the person needs to be hospitalized. Salmonella infections can also spread from the intestines into the bloodstream, resulting in life-threatening complications or even death.