CDC, FDA Investigating After Dead Bat Found in Packaged Salad Product

An investigation is ongoing after packaged salads purchased from a grocery store in Florida were found to contain a dead bat. CDC officials are working with the Florida Department of Health and the FDA to support the investigation, according to a CDC press release.

Two individuals who purchased the salads, marketed as Organic Marketside Spring Mix, reported consuming a portion of the salad before discovering animal material in the container. Due to the deteriorated condition of the bat, CDC officials were unable to definitively determine whether the bat had rabies during laboratory testing.

The 2 individuals who ate the salad with the dead bat were recommended to begin post-exposure rabies treatment, even though infection of rabies by eating a rabid animal is rare. However, neither of the individuals have exhibited any signs of rabies infection.

Fresh Express recalled the cases that may have been affected, and all remaining packages of salad from the same lot have been removed from locations where the salad was sold. The recalled salads had only been distributed to Walmart stores in the Southeastern region of the United States.

The CDC urges anyone who ate the recalled salad and found animal material in the package to contact their health department for evaluation.

Reference

CDC assisting investigation of animal material found in packaged salad [news release]. CDC’s website. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/s0408-animal-material-salad.html. Accessed April 10, 2017.