Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Salmonella outbreak in military dogs linked to commercial dog food
By Schotte, Ulrich et al.·Published in Veterinary microbiology·2007·Zentrales Institut des Sanitä, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Salmonella Montevideo outbreak in military kennel dogs caused by contaminated commercial feed, which was only recognized through monitoring.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of military dogs experienced an outbreak of Salmonella Montevideo after eating contaminated commercial dog food. Out of 80 dogs, 51 tested positive for the bacteria, but only nine showed mild diarrhea without fever. The investigation linked the illness to two specific dehydrated dog foods, indicating that these products could pose a risk even if dogs don't show obvious symptoms. This situation highlights the importance of monitoring pet food safety, especially for households with vulnerable individuals.
People also search for: dog diarrhea causes · Salmonella in dogs treatment · contaminated dog food symptoms
Abstract
A large outbreak of canine salmonellosis in military watch dogs due to Salmonella Montevideo and/or Salmonella Give was only recognized through a monitoring program, implemented by the military forces. In 51 out of 80 exposed dogs (63.8%) from four kennels Salmonella was isolated from fecal samples. The prevalence per sampling day ranged from 5.6 to 77.8%. Clinical disease with mild diarrhea but without fever appeared only in nine dogs (11.3% of study population, 16.9% of cases) from one kennel (***P < 0.001). Risk analysis identified "dog food A" (odds ratio 3.33 [1.12 < OR < 10.06] *P < 0.05) and "dog food C" (odds ratio 3.40 [1.07 < OR < 11.22] *P < 0.05), two commercial dehydrated dog feeds, as suspected infectious sources. Feeding "dog food C" alone or together with "dog food A" was significantly associated with clinical disease (***P < 0.001). S. Montevideo and S. Give with similar plasmid profiles and PFGE-restriction patterns were isolated from the suspected dog feeds and fecal samples. This outbreak demonstrates not only that Salmonella infections in dogs occur without clinical symptoms but also that large outbreaks occur after feeding dehydrated dog feeds. Especially in households with known risk group patients this finding demonstrates a particular risk for their owners, as they often live in close contact with their animals.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16979851/