Salmonella poisoning is the reason for the recent pet food recalls that include many well-known, premium pet food brands. According to the CDC, a total of 14 people in 9 states have become ill as a result of the recalled pet food. Five of those people were hospitalized and no deaths have been reported.

“We have taken corrective actions at our Gaston, SC facility and voluntarily expanded the recall out of concern for our customers and their pets,” Diamond reports in a release.

Active recalls:

Diamond Pet Foods has expanded its voluntary recall of dog food and brands affected now include:

- Apex                            - Diamond Naturals
- Premium Edge              - Professional
- Country Value               - Diamond
- 4Health                        - Taste of the Wild
- Canidae                       - Kirkland Signature
- Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul
- Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain

To determine if your pet food has been recalled, check the production code on the bag. If the code has a "2" or "3" in the 9th position and an "X" in the 10th or 11th position, the product is affected by the recall. The best-before dates for the recalled products are Dec. 9, 2012 through April 7, 2013.

Symptoms of Salmonella Infections

In Pets: Pets with Salmonella infections may have decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, pets may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

In People: Most persons infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most persons recover without treatment. However, in some persons, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. In these patients, the Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the blood stream, and then to other body sites and can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics. The elderly, infants, and those with impaired immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness.

How it was discovered:

On April 2, 2012, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development detected Salmonella in an unopened bag of Diamond Naturals Lamb Meal & Rice dry dog food, which had been collected March 14, 2012, during routine retail testing of dry pet food. Public health investigators used PulseNet to identify recent cases of human illness with a PFGE pattern indistinguishable from Salmonella Infantis, which was isolated from the unopened bag of dry dog food produced by Diamond Pet Foods. In interviews, ill persons answered questions about contact with animals and foods consumed during the week before becoming ill. Seven of 10 (70%) ill persons interviewed reported contact with a dog in the week before becoming ill. Of 5 ill persons who could recall the type of dog food with which they had contact, 4 (80%) identified dry dog food produced by Diamond Pet Foods that may have been produced at a single facility in South Carolina.

The outbreak has been visually described with an epidemic curve or epi curve chart. Illnesses that occurred after April 1, 2012 might not yet be reported due to the time it takes between when a person becomes ill and when the illness is reported. This takes an average of 2 to 3 weeks. (Please see the Salmonella Outbreak Investigations: Timeline for Reporting Cases for more details.)

Who to Contact

Pet owners who are unsure if the product they purchased is included in the recall, or who would like replacement product or a refund, may contact Diamond Pet Foods via a toll free call at 1-866-918-8756, Monday through Sunday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. EST. Consumers may also visit www.diamondpetrecall.com, for more information.