CDC warns of salmonella outbreak linked to pig ear dog treats

Credit: CDC.gov

Credit: CDC.gov

A treat that you give your dog could make you and your family sick, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has announced.

Researchers at the CDC are investigating the cases of 45 people who have been infected with salmonella.

While 45 people across 13 states have been diagnosed with the illness, only 12 people have been hospitalized. No one has died.

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Officials said 34 people who have been diagnosed with salmonella had contact with a dog before they got sick. Of that group, 17 had contact with pig ear dog treats or were in contact with dogs that had received the treats.

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development collected pig ear dog treats from the stores where people who were ill said they had purchased them. Samples showed salmonella contamination, but not necessarily the same strain that people were diagnosed as having.

Stores where samples were collected have removed pig ears from their shelves.

A common supplier has not been found.

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