Salmonella infection in pets

Pets such as cats and dogs can have salmonellosis and be carriers of the causative organism. Many strains of salmonellae have been isolated from cats and dogs and the incidence may vary from 1 to 36 per cent, depending on the conditions under which the animals live.  Since this is the case, children especially the very young who handle materially contaminated by pets and who are very subject to contracting the disease, may contact salmonellosis from pets.

It may be wondered why animals should have salmonellosis. The reason seems to be that their feeds, especially fish meal, meat meal and bone meal fed to them as supplements, often contain Salmonella bacteria. This is also true for some of the dried types of food used for feeding pets.

Prevention of salmonellosis in dogs and cats can be frustrating because of the tendency of some animals to develop a chronic subclinical carrier state or latent infection.

Nontyphoid salmonellae that infect pets also harbored by many other animals and persist in the environment, making eradication difficult.

Children are very susceptible to infection with Salmonella, and pet can transfer the bacteria to children. Do not let pet lick, especially on the face. Make sure to wash hands properly after playing with pet and make sure pets are properly groomed.  Thorough handwashing plays pivotal part on the prevention of foodborne animal-to-animal and human-to-human salmonellosis.

If come across animals, try to handle them as little as possible, since no body knows what kind of organism they might be carrying.
Salmonella infection in pets