DE FAAKTO OUTBREAK INTELLIGENCE
SITUATION-FDA WARNING DANGERS OF RAW PET FOOD
BACKGROUND-THE U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION IS WARNING OF THE DANGERS OF RAW PET FOOD
REPORT FROM THE FDA,
KEY POINTS
- Food products made from animals, such as raw meat and poultry, can be sources of Salmonella and L. monocytogenes infection
- Compared to other types of pet food, raw pet food is more likely to be contaminated with disease-causing bacteria, such as Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes
- People can also get both salmonellosis and listeriosis by handling contaminated food, such as contaminated raw pet food, or touching contaminated surfaces and utensils and accidentally transferring the bacteria from their hands to their mouths
Salmonellosis
- Symptoms of salmonellosis in people include fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain
- Symptoms start 12 hours to three days after a person ingests the bacteria
- Most people recover from salmonellosis in four to seven days without treatment, but some groups are at higher risk of developing more severe symptoms
These high-risk groups are:
- Children under 5
- The elderly
- Pregnant women
- People with weakened immune systems (such as those with cancer or other diseases)
Listeriosis
- Compared to salmonellosis and other foodborne illnesses, listeriosis is rare but very serious with a high mortality rate of 20 to 30 percent
- L. monocytogenes can invade many places in the body, including the brain, membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord (called the “meninges”), digestive tract (the stomach and intestines), and bloodstream
- Symptoms vary depending on the body site, or sites, affected
Listeriosis occurs almost exclusively in:
- Pregnant women and their fetuses
- Newborns
- The elderly
- People with weakened immune systems (such as those with cancer or other diseases)
- Although listeriosis may cause only mild illness in the mother, newborns can suffer serious life-threatening consequences, including pneumonia or respiratory distress, a blood infection, and meningitis
- Tragically, listeriosis can also cause miscarriage, stillbirth, and premature birth
Tips to Prevent Infection
If you choose to feed raw pet food to your pet, here are some tips to prevent infection:
- Thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water (for at least 20 seconds) after handling raw pet food, and after touching surfaces or objects that have come in contact with the raw food
- Thoroughly clean and disinfect all surfaces and objects that come in contact with raw pet food. First wash with hot soapy water and then follow with a disinfectant. You can also run items through the dishwasher after each use to clean and disinfect them
- Freeze raw meat and poultry products until you are ready to use them, and thaw them in your refrigerator or microwave, not on your countertop or in your sink
- Carefully handle raw and frozen meat and poultry products. Don’t rinse raw meat, poultry, fish, and seafood. Bacteria in the raw juices can splash and spread to other food and surfaces
- Keep raw food separate from other food
- Immediately cover and refrigerate what your pet doesn’t eat, or throw the leftovers out safely
- If you’re using raw ingredients to make your own cooked pet food, be sure to cook all food to a proper internal temperature as measured by a food thermometer. Thorough cooking kills Salmonella, L. monocytogenes, and other harmful foodborne bacteria
- Don’t kiss your pet around its mouth, and don’t let your pet lick your face. This is especially important after your pet has just finished eating raw food
- Thoroughly wash your hands after touching or being licked by your pet. If your pet gives you a “kiss,” be sure to also wash your face
- No matter what type of pet food you feed your pet, you should always follow these safe handling instructions
FDA https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/animal-health-literacy/avoid-dangers-raw-pet-food
