Salmonella spp. in pet feed and risk it poses to humans

Abstract

Commercial feed intended for dogs and cats is an almost unrecognised source of human infection with various serovars of Salmonella enterica. However, people may catch the infection both via direct contact with contaminated pet feed and by contact with pets, which usually shed Salmonella without signs of infection. A relatively new trend of feeding dogs and cats with raw feed is considered to be a special risk owing to the fact that it usually contains foodborne pathogens, such as Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli and Campylobacter spp. Nonetheless, the epidemiological data do not support this idea. In the current review relevant data on the significance of pet feed in the outbreak of human salmonellosis are discussed and the recommendations for the prevention of the infection originating from these sources are suggested.

Keywords

• pets
• raw and commercial feed
• salmonellosis