On March 18th, 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a press release stating that Natura Pet Products is voluntarily recalling specific lots of dry pet food because of the food is potentially contaminated with Salmonella; however, no Salmonella illnesses have been reported.
According to the FDA, Salmonella can affect the animals that eat the products and there is also a risk to humans who handle the contaminated pet products, and this is especially the case if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the pet food, or any surfaces that was exposed to these products.
The FDA warns that healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for any of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. In rare cases Salmonella can result in more serious complications including arterial infections, arthritis, endocarditis, eye irritation, muscle pain and urinary tract symptoms.
Salmonella infections are zoonotic (an infectious disease transmitted between species), meaning they can be transferred between animals and humans; many infections are caused by ingestion of contaminated foods. There is over a thousand different types of Salmonella bacteria, most of which have never been found in humans. While most have never been linked to a specific host, humans can be infected as well as animals.
Salmonella can be found worldwide in both cold and warm-blooded animals (humans included), and in the environment. Salmonella causes illnesses such as typhoid fever, paratyphoid fever, and food borne illness. Infants and small children are more susceptible to infection than healthy adults, and they can easily become ill by ingesting a small amount of bacteria. In infants, they can even become infected through inhaling bacteria-laden dust, which isn’t difficult to do with dry pet food. After a short incubation period lasting less than a day, the germs multiply in the intestinal lumen, causing intestinal inflammation with diarrhea that is often bloody. In infants, the accompanied dehydration can cause a severe state of toxicosis.
While the symptoms of Salmonella in adults are usually mild, in rare cases sepsis can occur in elderly patients with weakened immune systems (e.g. Hodgkin’s disease). Small children can also suffer from Salmonella meningitis or osteitis (bone inflammation).
When pets are affected with Salmonella infections, they may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, or vomiting. Some pets will experience a decrease in appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Additionally, infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers of Salmonella and infect other animals or even humans.
Pet Food Recall
The recalled products were produced in a single production facility during two weeks in December of 2012. During a routine testing by the Michigan Department of Agriculture, a single retail location tested positive for the presence of Salmonella. The affected products are sold in bags and through veterinary clinics and select specialty retailers, and online in the U.S., Canada, Korea, Malaysia, Japan, Hong Kong and Costa Rica. The product expiration dates range from 12/17/2013 to 1/2/2014. For a complete list of the recalled pet foods, you can visit the FDA’s website online.
In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The agency is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the regulation and supervision of food safety. Not only does it regulate food, but the FDA also regulates tobacco products, dietary supplements, vaccines, prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, medical devices and veterinary products.
If you or someone you love has been injured by a dangerous drug or if you have been harmed by a contaminated food, then the FDA may have issued safety warnings about that product. There are a number of dangerous and defective products released on the market that cause undue harm to consumers, and when such injuries are caused by negligence on behalf of the designer or the manufacturer or the distributor, then the injured person may have legal grounds to seek compensation for their losses.
In the past, thousands of dangerous drugs and defective medical devices, as well as dangerous toys and infant products such as cribs have been recalled after seriously injuring or even killing the innocent consumers. In many such cases the victims have sought after and won settlements and verdict awards on behalf of their injuries. If you or someone you love has suffered undue harm because of a dangerous product, you are urged to contact a Marietta personal injury attorney from Jones & Swanson today to discuss your rights to compensation.
Categories: Product Liability
