The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention said two people are dead and another 768 are ill due to nationwide Salmonella outbreaks linked to popular dog treats and backyard poultry on Thursday, according to USA Today.
The CDC posted an update on two separate outbreaks with the first linked to contact with pig ear dog treats and another linked to contact with people who have backyard poultry pens.
The outbreak has now spread to 48 states with 122 hospitalizations out of the 768 cases.
Two deaths were reported in Texas and Ohio.
Pet Supplies Plus recalled the pig ear products earlier this month after they tested positive for salmonella.
"Testing by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development revealed that aging bulk pig-ear product in one of our stores tested positive for salmonella," Pet Supplies said. "We have pulled bulk pig-ear product from the shelves of all of our stores and have stopped shipping bulk pig ears from our distribution center."
The pig ears outbreak has been found in 27 states, with 93 people stricken with the illness, including 20 hospitalizations.
The pig ear products were sold at more than 400 states in 33 states.
The CDC and the Food and Drug Administration are investigating the pig ears contamination.
Bulk pig ears were distributed to Pet Supplies Plus stores in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin and West Virginia.
The CDC warned pet owners salmonella can affect animals along with people and symptoms can include lethargy, diarrhea, fever, and vomiting.
There have been more than 75 outbreaks of Salmonella infections since 2000 that have been linked to backyard poultry, an increasingly popular hobby.
The CDC said anyone with backyard poultry should wash their hands with soap and water after touching the poultry or anything in their environment.
If soap and water aren't immediately available, use hand sanitizer.
-WN.com, Maureen Foody
Photo:
Creative Commons / Jessica Reeder https://www.flickr.com/people/32917625@N02
