(WHDH) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration are urging the public not to buy or feed any pig ear dog treats to pets, including any that may already be in homes, amid a growing salmonella outbreak.
Officials say people can get sick after handling the treats or caring for dogs who ate the treats. Dogs might get sick after eating them.
A total of 127 people from 33 states have been infected by the outbreak. Twenty-six people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
Epidemiologic, laboratory and traceback evidence indicates that contact with pig ear dog treats from many different suppliers is the likely source of the outbreak, according to officials.
State health and regulatory officials in several states, in addition to the FDA, have tested pig ear dog treats at various suppliers and identified many different strains of Salmonella.
No single supplier, distributor or common brand of pig ear treats has been identified that could account for all the illnesses.
People with a Salmonella infection may have diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. Dogs with a Salmonella infection usually have diarrhea, which may appear bloody.
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