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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, November 2001, p. 3962-3968, Vol. 39, No. 11
0095-1137/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/JCM.39.11.3962-3968.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Characterization of Salmonella Associated with Pig Ear Dog Treats in Canada

Clifford Clark,1,* Jane Cunningham,2 Rafiq Ahmed,1 David Woodward,1 Kevin Fonseca,2 Sandy Isaacs,3 Andrea Ellis,3 Chandar Anand,2 Kim Ziebell,4 Anne Muckle,4 Paul Sockett,3 and Frank Rodgers1

National Laboratory for Enteric Pathogens, National Microbiology Laboratory, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3E 3R21; Provincial Laboratory or Public Health for Southern Alberta, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4W42; Division of Enteric Foodborne and Waterborne Diseases, Centre for Infectious Disease Control and Prevention, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0L23; and Laboratory for Foodborne Zoonoses, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 3W44

Received 19 June 2001/Returned for modification 24 July 2001/Accepted 29 August 2001

In the summer of 1999, the incidence of Salmonella enterica serotype Infantis infections in Alberta rose dramatically. Subsequent laboratory and epidemiological investigations established that an outbreak of human disease caused by this organism was occurring across Canada and was associated with pet treats for dogs produced from processed pig ears. Laboratory investigations using phage typing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) established that isolates of Salmonella serotype Infantis from pig ear pet treats and humans exposed to pig ear pet treats comprised a well-defined subset of all isolates analyzed. Of the 53 subtypes of Salmonella serotype Infantis obtained around the time of the outbreak as defined by PFGE and phage typing, only 6 subtypes were associated with both human infection and isolation from pig ears. Together with information from epidemiological studies, these investigations established pig ear pet treats as the cause of the Salmonella serotype Infantis outbreak. The results are consistent with a model in which contaminated pig ear pet treats constitute a long-term, continuing vehicle for infection of the human population rather than causing temporally delimited point-source outbreaks. During the course of this outbreak, several other Salmonella serotypes were also isolated from pet treats, suggesting these products may be an important source of enteric infection in both humans and dogs. Though isolates of Salmonella serotypes other than Salmonella serotype Infantis from pet treats were also subjected to PFGE and phage typing, no link with human disease could be definitively established, and the contribution of pig ear pet treats to human disease remains unclear. Elimination of bacterial contamination from pet treats is required to reduce the risk of infection from these products.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: National Laboratory for Enteric Pathogens, National Microbiology Laboratory, 1015 Arlington St., Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3E 3R2. Phone: (204) 789-2094. Fax: (204) 789-5012. E-mail: Clifford_Clark{at}hc-sc.gc.ca.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, November 2001, p. 3962-3968, Vol. 39, No. 11
0095-1137/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/JCM.39.11.3962-3968.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


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