Salmonella is a nasty little pathogen that can get into your home in any number of ways. That’s why the Food and Drug Administration has begun testing pet food, treats and supplements for Salmonella in an effort to keep the bacteria at bay.

Of particular concern, says the FDA is “salmonella being transmitted to humans through pet foods, pet treats and supplements for pets that are intended to be fed to animals in homes, where they are likely to be directly handled or ingested by humans.”

Now, when the FDA says “ingested by humans,” they don’t necessarily mean your little kids chomping on a Milk Bone (though that does happen). All it would require for transmission is for someone to handle tainted pet food and then inadvertently put an unwashed finger in their mouth.

From the Dow Jones Newswire:

And there is plenty of evidence to back up concern over human infection, the FDA said. The agency pointed to CDC data that show 70 people got sick from January 2006 through December 2007 in connection with salmonella-tainted dry dog food produced in Pennsylvania.

The 2006-2007 dog food outbreak featured a salmonella Schwarzengrund, according to the CDC, a bacteria known to be resistant to some antibiotics.

FDA starts testing pet food for salmonella [Dow Jones Newswires]

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