Oregon officials have confirmed a dog to be the first animal to have been sickened by salmonella in the recent nationwide outbreak that sickened over 575 humans and is associated with 8 deaths.

Emilio DeBess, the state public health veterinarian said the dog named Levi, a 3 year old mixed breed in Douglas county southern Oregon got sick towards the end of January after eating Happy Tails multi-flavored dog biscuits.

Confirming Levi's illness was connected to the recent salmonella outbreak which began in September, health authorities said it was the first time that salmonella has been confirmed in a dog. Oregon Health Department officials said laboratory testing confirmed that the biscuits were contaminated with the outbreak strain of salmonella.

"The dog biscuits were on the list of products recalled several weeks ago," says DeBess. "They contain peanut butter that comes from the same Georgia plant that has been linked to the human illnesses."

A total of 1,555 products have so been recalled including eight types of pet treats after the recent salmonella outbreak which was linked to peanut butter and peanut paste manufactured at the Blakely, Ga. Plant of the Peanut Corporation of America.

"This is a reminder that people need to check not only their own food, but their pet food and treats as well. If the products contain any peanut ingredients, you should check the FDA's website or contact the manufacturer or the store where they were purchased to see if they are on the recall list," DeBess says

He added that there were chances of cross contamination and people should be careful about washing their hands after touching a dog with bloody diarrhea to ensure that they don't get sick as well.

DeBess said, "This is huge. We may be the only state where vets have embraced public health concerns to the point of helping to prevent infections that can lead to human illness."

On the human side five more people in Oregon and Washington have been added to the sick list. William Keene, senior epidemiologist for the state Public Health Division said Oregon added another case with a little girl getting sick and taking the human toll in the state to 12. Donn Moyer, spokesman for the Washington Department of Health confirmed four new cases of salmonella taking the state total to 17.

DeBess said Levi was doing fine and added that he was contacted by the family when Levi got sick. The first tests came back negative but later they confirmed that he was infected with the same strain of salmonella that had gripped the nation.

DeBess had asked the state's 1,500 veterinarians to be on the lookout for dogs with symptoms of a salmonella infection, which include bloody diarrhea and vomiting. He said there could be more cases of dogs sickened. Public health authorities in Oregon and Washington expect to see more cases though the outbreak has slowed.