Salmonella Prevalence and Persistence in Companion Animals

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PROJECT SUMMARY Salmonella infection is the leading cause of human death due to foodborne illness in the United States. Although human salmonellosis is usually associated with the consumption of contaminated food, pets can be another source of infection. Dogs and cats are not commonly thought of as carriers of Salmonella, but Salmonella infection is well-recognized in these pets. Risk factors for Salmonella infection in dogs and cats include consumption of raw meat diets and contaminated treats such as pig ears. There have also been outbreaks of Salmonella infection in pets fed dry commercial diets. People can be exposed to Salmonella when handling contaminated pet food and treats. Despite recognition of these cases and the potential risk of salmonellosis in dogs and cats, Salmonella culture is not routinely performed in these species. We propose to study Salmonella shedding in dogs and cats because 1) Salmonella infection is well-recognized in dogs and cats; 2) dogs and cats live in close association with people, particularly children; 3) contamination of pet foods and treats is well-recognized and has caused cases of human salmonellosis; and 4) dogs and cats are not routinely screened for Salmonella shedding despite recognition of the risk of Salmonella infection in dogs and cats. We will measure the prevalence of Salmonella shedding in symptomatic and asymptomatic dogs and cats through fecal culture.