At least 49 people have fallen ill since October in a Salmonella Infantis outbreak linked to dog and cat food manufactured at a Diamond Pet Foods facility in Gaston, South Carolina, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in its final outbreak update. That case count has risen from 22 since the CDC’s previous update on June 13. Of those ill, 47 are from the U.S. and two are Canadian. Among the 24 cases with information available, 10 have been hospitalized. The number ill by U.S. state is as follows: Alabama (2 illnesses), Arkansas (2), California (3), Connecticut (2), Georgia (2), Illinois (4), Indiana (1), Kentucky (1), Michigan (2), Minnesota (1), Missouri (3), New Jersey (2), New York (5), North Carolina (5), Ohio (3), Oklahoma (1), Pennsylvania (3), South Carolina (2), Texas (1) and Virginia (2). The rate of new cases has declined since the peak in April and May, but more cases continue to surface as people come in contact with recalled dog food. Considering the expected shelf life of pet food is one year, the CDC anticipates more cases to occur in the coming months. Visit Diamond’s website for detailed information on recalled products. In May, Food Safety News reported on how state and federal testing programs discovered Diamond’s contamination.
