MiceDirect Salmonella Began in Britain
The Mice Direct Salmonella outbreak caused by contaminated frozen mice sold to snake and other reptile owners in the United States was preceded by a Salmonella outbreak in Britiain associated with the same supplier.
The New York Times reported the link, saying that more than 400 people in all have fallen ill in Britain since August 2008. About two-thirds of victims have been children under 10, according to Chris Lane, a senior epidemiologist of the Health Protection Agency’s Center for Infections in London.
Although the shipments of tainted mice were halted last year, people continue to get sick there, Mr. Lane said. Many of the victims are snake owners.
According to the Times, the first case in the United States appeared in January 2010. Dr. Barton Behravesh of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said more than 30 cases have been identified in 17 states. It is the strain of Salmonella as the British outbreak. She said the cases were not concentrated in one region but spread across the country. Half the victims were under 12.
The Times story said U.S. authorities were slow to react. to indications of the outbreak. Kristen Nordlund of CDC said British officials told the agency in May 2009 of the outbreak there and the connection to MiceDirect.
The parent company of MiceDirect, Biggers & Callaham LLC, is now recalling froze mice, rats and chicks because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. The announcement was made earlier this week by the Food and Drug Administration.
The frozen reptile feed was distributed in all states, except Hawaii, through pet stores and by mail order and direct delivery.
Frozen reptile feed was shipped in plastic bags with the following product codes M-SP100, M-P100, M-PF100, M-F100, M-H100, M-W50, M-A50, M-JA25, R-P100, R-F50, R-PUP50, R-W50, R-S50, R-M20, R-L10,R-J5, R-C5, R-M3 followed by E9, F9, G9, H9, I9, J9, K9, L9 or A10, B10, C10, D10, E10, F10, G10 and whole frozen chicks in 25 count bags.
If you or someone you know has been sickened after handling reptile feed in this Mice Direct Salmonella outbreak, contact your physician immediately for care and request that a stool culture be taken. For legal questions about potential compensation, call Pritzker Olsen law firm at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page.
Our firm is a leading national practitioner of foodborne illness litigation and we are involved in practically every major outbreak. Over the years we have collected millions for victims of Salmonella and other forms of food poisoning
MiceDirect officials said in the company's recall announcement that it is beginning to irradiate its animal specimens to kill Salmonella and other possible pathogens before shipping.
