CDC recalls a brand of dog food linked to Salmonella infections

MISSOULA, Mont. — The Center of Disease Control and Prevention is alerting the public of a Salmonella outbreak linked to dry dog food.

Officials say seven infections have happened in seven states, with a majority of the infected persons infants under one year old.

No deaths have occurred, but one person was in the hospital.

Hi-Pro Plus dry dog food from the Victor brand that is manufactured by Mid America Pet Food is being recalled as a strain of Salmonella was found during testing.

Mid America Pet Food has had many cat and dog food brand recalls by the Food and Drug Administration.

Officials advise parents and guardians to wash their hands after feeding their pets, and to keep infants and children away from contaminated pet food as they can get into food bowls located on the ground, and are more likely to grab pet food and put it in their mouths.

The Center of Disease Control and Prevention released the following information:

A CDC food safety alert regarding an outbreak of Salmonella infections has been posted: https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/kiambu-11-23/index.html

Key Points:

CDC has received reports of seven Salmonella infections in seven states. One person has been hospitalized and no deaths have been reported.

Most of the sick people in this outbreak are infants under age one. Young children are more likely to get a severe Salmonella infection because their immune systems are still developing.

This outbreak has been linked to Victor brand Hi-Pro Plus dry dog food, manufactured by Mid America Pet Food. The outbreak strain was found in this pet food during routine testing.

FDA has announced recalls for several dog and cat food brands made by Mid America Pet Food. See CDC’s outbreak notice for more details on each recall.

Infants and young children can get sick from contaminated pet food if they have access to pet food bowls on the floor, handle or put pet food in their mouths, or if caregivers don’t wash hands after feeding pets.

What Pet Owners Should Do:

• Throw away recalled pet food in a sealed trash bag and place it in a sealed trash can.
• Don’t let children touch the recalled pet food.
• Don’t feed recalled pet food to pets or other animals.
• Don’t donate recalled pet food.
• Clean surfaces and items, including pet items, that might have touched the recalled pet food. Wash your hands after feeding your pets or touching pet items.
• Contact the pet food company if you have any questions about the recall.

Email [email protected] or call 1-888-428-7544 from 8 AM to 5 PM Central Time, Monday through Friday.

What Businesses Should Do:

• Do not sell, use, or donate recalled pet food.
• Wash and sanitize items and surfaces that may have come in contact with recalled pet food.

Salmonella Symptoms in People and Pets:

• Most people infected with Salmonella experience diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps.
• Symptoms usually start 6 hours to 6 days after swallowing the bacteria.
• Most people recover without treatment after 4 to 7 days.
• Some people—especially children younger than 5 years, adults 65 years and older, and people with weakened immune systems—may experience more severe illnesses that require medical treatment or hospitalization.

For more information about Salmonella, see the Salmonella Questions and Answers page.

Most pets don’t get sick from Salmonella, but they can spread the germ through their poop and saliva.

Pets with a health problem and young pets are more likely to get sick from Salmonella. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea (may be bloody), fever, loss of appetite, and decreased activity level.

For more information, see FDA’s Salmonellosis in Dogs and Cats page.