In a troublesome report submitted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that dry pet food can be a significant carrier of salmonella virus.

The researchers examined records related to a rare form of the disease called salmonella Schwarzengrund and found that some outbreaks are linked with dry pet food.

Researchers have found during the study that out of 79 Salmonella Schwarzengrund cases in a total of 21 states that almost half have occurred in children who are under the age of two. A link was also found between the Salmonella Schwarzengrund cases and the feeding of a dog. This has been especially noted in cases where the dog is fed inside the kitchen.

Based on the above data, researchers then examined the presence of the salmonella virus in dogs from nine test homes in Pennsylvania. The germ was successfully isolated the germ from 38 percent of the tested fecal matter and nine percent of the dry per food test.

The results of this study lays stress again on the importance of hand washing before and after eating food and also soon after feeding the pets and after handling their food.