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Have any pet foods or treats been recalled?
Yes. Search the FDA Searchable Database http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/peanutbutterrecall/index.cfm#PetFood to look for recalled products.
For those without Internet access, telephone 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for product recall information from the FDA website and for other information on Salmonella.
What type of samples should I collect from an animal suspected with a possible Salmonella infection and a history of exposure to a recalled pet product that contains peanut butter? What laboratory should I send the sample to for testing?
If you are presented with an animal suspected to have come in contact with recalled products or with clinical signs consistent with salmonellosis, the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD) and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) recommend submitting diarrhea (preferred) or vomitus samples to a state veterinary diagnostic laboratory for Salmonella culturing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis testing (PFGE). Additionally, feces or stool samples can also be submitted for pets that appear healthy but were known to eat a recalled product. If your state laboratory isolates Salmonella but cannot perform PFGE, the laboratory may wish to forward the isolate to a laboratory that can perform the procedure such as one of the AAVLD labs in your area. To locate an AAVLD laboratory in your area, go to http://www.aavld.org/mc/page.do?sitePageId=33930&orgId=aavld, or go to the AAVLD’s home page at http://www.aavld.org/mc/page.do and click on the “Accreditation” link on the left side menu bar.
Veterinarians who want to characterize Salmonella isolates from animals can submit these isolates to the Diagnostic Bacteriology Laboratory at the National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa. Isolates should be submitted with a completed form VS 10-3 indicating whether serotyping, PFGE, or both are requested. Form VS 10-3 and additional information on sample submission is located at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/lab_info_services/diagnos_tests.shtml
The pet’s owner brought a leftover treat from a package of treats that were fed to a pet prior to the pet’s illness, and requested the leftover treats be tested. Where do I send those samples?
Submit pet treat samples either to your state laboratory (call first to ensure they will accept food samples) or a veterinary laboratory that is a member of the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN) for microbiological agents. An alphabetical list of veterinary laboratories that are members of the FERN is below.
Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, University of Georgia (Athens, GA) (hyperlink to http://www.vet.uga.edu/dlab/)
California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory (Davis, CA) (hyperlink to http://cahfs.ucdavis.edu/)
Centralia Animal Disease Laboratory, Illinois Dept of Agriculture (Centralia, IL) (hyperlink to http://www.agr.state.il.us/AnimalHW/labs/centralialab.html)
Department of Defense Veterinary Food Analysis & Diagnostic Laboratory (Fort Sam Houston, TX) (hyperlink to http://www.vetlab.army.mil/)
Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab at Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN) (hyperlink to http://www.addl.purdue.edu/)
Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (Ames, IA) (hyperlink to http://vetmed.iastate.edu/diagnostic-lab)
National Veterinary Services Laboratory (Ames, IA) (hyperlink to http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/lab_info_services/about_nvsl.shtml)
New Mexico Veterinary Diagnostic Services (Las Cruces, NM) (hyperlink to http://128.123.206.6/animal-and-plant-protection/veterinary-diagnostic-services)
Ohio Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (Reynoldsburg, OH) (hyperlink to http://www.agri.ohio.gov/addl/)
Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory, Penn Dept of Agriculture (Harrisburg, PA) (hyperlink to http://www.agriculture.state.pa.us/agriculture/cwp/view.asp?a=3&q=127711)
or Pennsylvania State University Animal Diagnostic Laboratory (University Park, PA) (hyperlink to http://vbs.psu.edu/adl/)
South Dakota State University Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (Brookings, SD) (hyperlink to http://vetsci.sdstate.edu/)
University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (Twin Cities, MN) (hyperlink to http://www.vdl.umn.edu/aboutVDL/home.html)
To whom do I report a suspected or confirmed Salmonella illness in an animal?
Advise clients that you do not recommend giving away their pet or euthanizing their pet because of a Salmonella infection. Talk to them about taking precautions to minimize the risk of illness to their family and how to safely clean up after their pet. Prescribe treatment recommendations to your clients and tell them to contact you if they have any questions. You may also wish to refer them to the CDC web site at http://www.cdc.gov/Salmonella/typhimurium or to the FDA web site for a list of recalled peanut containing products at http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/peanutbutterrecall/index.cfm
Be sure to tell the client that Salmonella infections are a zoonotic disease meaning that the infection can spread between animals and people. Salmonella is transmitted from animals to humans by the fecal oral route. Inform clients of proper hygiene and sanitation precautions to protect themselves and their family as well as any other pets they may have. It is important for people to wash their hands--and make sure children wash their hands--before and, especially, after feeding treats to pets. Also, advise clients to always wash hands right after handling or cleaning up after their pets. If the client or any of their family members are ill, encourage them to contact a physician immediately.
Additional information to share with clients:
Follow these simple guidelines to prevent getting a Salmonella infection from your pet:
· After contact with animal feces (stool), wash your hands well with soap and running water for at least 20 seconds, then rinse and dry your hands with a paper towel.
· Clean up after your pet. If you have a cat, scoop the litter box daily and dispose of the stool in a tightly sealed plastic bag. If you have a dog, clean up the stool while on walks or from the yard and dispose of the stool in a tightly sealed plastic bag.
· Be sure to wash your hands with soap and running water after touching or feeding your pet.
Where can I learn more about this outbreak investigation?
To learn the latest information on this outbreak investigation, please visit CDC’s website at http://www.cdc.gov/Salmonella/typhimurium.
For questions and answers about pets and this outbreak, veterinarians and clients can visit:
http://www.cdc.gov/Salmonella/typhimurium/Salmonella_pets.html
For additional information, please visit:
American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Information for Veterinarians
http://www.avma.org/aa/answers_for_vets.asp
AVMA News: Peanut Butter Pet Treats Recalls Related to Probe of Possible Salmonella Poisoning
http://www.avma.org/aa/peanut_butter_recall.asp
Oregon Public Health Officials Confirm First Salmonella Case in Dog
http://oregon.gov/DHS/news/2009news/2009-0206.pdf
