In an update released Friday by the FDA, imported jerky treats from China were implicated in over 1,000 dog deaths, plus almost 6,000 cases of serious illness and even three sick humans. Once again, Chinese imports are in the spotlight. 
 
 In a striking piece of corporate theater, the owner of a Chinese dog treat factory ate one of his own treats to prove how safe they are. But maybe he shouldn’t have? The FDA has been investigating Chinese-made dog jerky since 2007, when they first received reports of canine gastrointestinal and liver disease, kidney and urinary disease, and Fanconi syndrome (typically quite obscure). 
 
 The dog treats in question are branded as jerky and typically contain chicken, duck and sweet potato. Particular brand names have not been singled out — essentially we’re told to just avoid China-sourced jerky. This can be tricky, as global ingredient tracking is often opaque; products labeled “Made in the USA” may contain foreign additives. 
 
 “ They’ve performed a battery of assessments on the treats, including analysis for rodenticide, salmonella, heavy metals, radiation and mold. 
 
 That said, some companies — e.g., Nestle and Del Monte — are now promising their dog jerky is free of Chinese ingredients; the FDA’s PR blitz has clearly had an effect. Luke Qin, the factory owner who scarfed down a doggie snack, told NBC News his export business is way down since the FDA first sounded the jerky alarm. He says four of his five factories are now closed. 
 
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 In its extensive review of these treats, the FDA has turned up a couple of undesirable additives: a low level of antibiotics and an antiviral drug called amantadine. The agency is not drawing a correlation between amantadine and the sick dogs, however — the symptoms are wrong. FDA spokeswoman Megan Bensette says they’ve performed a battery of other assessments on the treats, including analysis for rodenticide, salmonella, heavy metals, radiation and mold. 
 
 Results have been inconclusive, even after necropsies were performed on 26 dead dogs who ate jerky treats. In half the dogs, analysts found seemingly unrelated causes of death: cancer, Cushing’s disease, mushroom toxicity, abscess and internal bleeding secondary to trauma. The remaining 13 dogs seemed likely to have died from jerky, though the link is uncertain. 
 
 Frustrated by the lack of conclusive evidence, the FDA has now turned to their (typically human-focused) colleagues at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC is helping compare the diets of sick dogs to a control group of healthy dogs. 
 
 Symptoms to Watch • decreased appetite 
 
 • decreased activity 
 
 • vomiting 
 
 • diarrhea, sometimes with blood 
 
 • increased water consumption 
 
 • increased urination 
 
 Naturally, the more publicity the government gives to this situation, the more false positives are reported. Every time the FDA has issued a warning, they’ve received a spike in reports from dog owners and vets. Just in the period since last October, when they issued the last update, they’ve received 1,800 new reports. Even this article will likely add a few false alarms. Separating them from the truly suspicious cases is a chore. 
 
 For the general public, the safest bet is probably just to avoid dog jerky unless you’re totally confident of its origins. The FDA points out that even in the best-case scenario, it isn’t the healthiest stuff to feed your pooch. You can certainly find other ways to reward good behavior. 
 
 As far as the three humans possibly sickened by jerky, two were toddlers shoving things in their mouths — one was diagnosed with salmonella poisoning while the other is having kidney issues. The third was an adult who, for causes unknown, ate dog treats. This individual reported nausea and a headache. 

 May 16, 2014 
 
 Media Inquiries: Siobhan DeLancey, 202-510-4177, siobhan.delancey@fda.hhs.gov 
 
 Trade Media Inquiries: Megan Bensette, 240-506-6818, megan.bensette@fda.hhs.gov 
 
 Consumer and Industry Inquiries: AskCVM@fda.hhs.gov 
 
 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is providing an update on its ongoing investigation into pet illnesses and deaths in animals that ate jerky pet treats. This update includes the latest information about complaints of illnesses, FDA’s collaboration with the CDC on a new case control study, and new findings revealed through the agency’s testing. Unfortunately, FDA has still not been able to identify a specific cause for the reported illnesses or deaths. 
 
 Case numbers: Since FDA’s last update on October 22, 2013, we have received approximately 1,800 additional case reports. As of May 1, 2014, we have received in total more than 4,800 complaints of illness in pets that ate chicken, duck, or sweet potato jerky treats, nearly all of which are imported from China. The reports involve more than 5,600 dogs, 24 cats, three people, and include more than 1,000 canine deaths. The breakdown of symptoms associated with the cases is similar to that of earlier reports: approximately 60 percent of the cases report gastrointestinal/liver disease, 30 percent kidney or urinary disease, with the remaining 10 percent of complaints including various other signs such as neurologic, dermatologic, and immunologic symptoms. About 15 percent of the kidney or urinary cases also tested positive for Fanconi syndrome, a rare kidney disease that has been associated with this investigation. 
 
 Since FDA’s last update on October 22, 2013, we have received approximately 1,800 additional case reports. As of May 1, 2014, we have received in total more than 4,800 complaints of illness in pets that ate chicken, duck, or sweet potato jerky treats, nearly all of which are imported from China. The reports involve more than 5,600 dogs, 24 cats, three people, and include more than 1,000 canine deaths. The breakdown of symptoms associated with the cases is similar to that of earlier reports: approximately 60 percent of the cases report gastrointestinal/liver disease, 30 percent kidney or urinary disease, with the remaining 10 percent of complaints including various other signs such as neurologic, dermatologic, and immunologic symptoms. About 15 percent of the kidney or urinary cases also tested positive for Fanconi syndrome, a rare kidney disease that has been associated with this investigation. Response to Dear Veterinarian Letter: Following an October 2013 request for veterinarians to share case information, the agency received many well-documented case reports that have and continue to provide us with valuable information that is assisting in our ongoing investigation. Out of this effort, FDA has had the opportunity to perform necropsies (post-mortem examinations) on 26 dogs, 13 of which appeared to have causes of death not related to consumption of jerky pet treats. Of the remaining 13 cases, an association with consumption of jerky pet treats could not be ruled out. Eleven of these dogs had indications of kidney disease and two involved gastrointestinal disease. 
 
 The agency continues to review case records, test treat samples from reported cases, screen tissue, blood, urinary and fecal samples, and communicate with the attending veterinarians and pet owners to thoroughly investigate select cases. Because of the volume of information received in response to the Dear Veterinarian letter, the agency has not completed an update to our online case spreadsheets. FDA plans to complete and post these updates in the coming months. 
 
 Partnership with CDC: While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention primarily tracks cases of human illness, FDA has requested their expertise in collaborating on a study of cases reported to the FDA of sick dogs compared with “controls” (dogs who have not been ill). The goal of the study is to compare the foods eaten by the sick dogs (cases) to those eaten by the dogs that did not get sick (controls), in order to determine whether sick dogs are eating more jerky pet treats than healthy dogs are. Data collected during this investigation will allow federal investigators to better understand what is making pets sick. The study is still ongoing, and FDA will share results when they are completed. 
 
 While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention primarily Testing: Following testing performed by the New York State Department of Markets and Agriculture (NYSDAM) in 2012 that detected low levels of antibiotics in tested jerky pet treats, FDA undertook a project to adapt the NYSDAM method to the equipment in its own field laboratories for regulatory and enforcement purposes. This adaptation is now complete and the method is in use for testing both imported and domestic treats. 
 
 Testing of jerky pet treats from China has also revealed the presence of the drug amantadine in some samples containing chicken. These samples were from jerky pet treats that were sold a year or more ago. Amantadine is an antiviral that is FDA-approved for use in people. It has also been used in an extra-label manner (using an approved drug in a way that isn’t listed on the label) in dogs for pain control, but FDA prohibited its use in poultry in 2006. 
 
 FDA does not believe that amantadine contributed to the illnesses because the known side effects or adverse events associated with amantadine do not seem to correlate with the symptoms seen in the jerky pet treat-related cases. However, amantadine should not be present at all in jerky pet treats, and the agency has notified the Chinese authorities that the presence of amantadine in these products is an adulterant. Chinese authorities have also assured us that they will perform additional screening and will follow up with jerky pet treat manufacturers. FDA has notified the U.S. companies that market jerky pet treats found positive for amantadine of this finding and are testing both imported and domestic jerky pet treats for amantadine and other antivirals. 
 
 The agency continues to caution pet owners that jerky pet treats are not required for a balanced diet, and encourage them to consult with their veterinarians, both prior to feeding treats and if they notice symptoms in their pets. 
 
 FDA continues to devote significant resources to this investigation and to work with its Vet-LIRN partners to gather and analyze new information as it becomes available. If your pet has experienced signs of illness that you suspect is related to jerky pet treats, please report it to FDA. While FDA does not necessarily respond to every individual complaint submitted, each report is valuable and becomes part of the body of knowledge that helps to inform our investigation. 

 The FDA said Friday that jerky pet treats, mostly imported from China, have now been linked to more than 1,000 dog deaths, and, for the first time, sickness in three people who ate the products. 
 
 But when NBC News traced a particular brand of jerky treat from the shelves of U.S. stores all the way back to a specific factory in Shandong, China, that manufactured treats for a variety of U.S. companies, the owner of the factory did not hesitate to pop a pet treat into his own mouth. 
 
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 “It’s safe, no problem,” said Luke Qin, and demonstrated by wolfing down a duck jerky treat. “Human standard. You can try eating.” 
 
 But Qin also said his business had suffered, and he had to close four of his five factories had to shut down, after U.S. consumers and pet food manufacturers began to shy away from Chinese-sourced jerky after reports of pet illnesses. 
 
 For seven years, the FDA has been investigating possible links between Chinese jerky pet treats and maladies in dogs that include gastrointestinal illness, kidney failure and a disease called Fanconi syndrome. Its most recent report tabulated nearly 5,000 alleged cases of jerky-linked illness. 
 
 Brooklyn, N.Y., veterinarian Brett Levitzke said he has seen a dozen fatalities since 2011. “There’s definitely something in those treats that cause these signs and this syndrome,” said Levitzke. He said that in the absence of any other explanation he had “no doubt” of a link between the illnesses and the treats. 
 
 “I fed my child poison” 
 
 Small dogs have proven particularly susceptible. Nancy Belinski of Clinton, N.J., would feed her four-year-old Yorkshire terrier Zoey chicken jerky treats every day. 
 
 “I thought I was being an exceptionally good mother to my dog,” said Belinski. 
 
 According to Belinski, however, when her dog died of kidney failure in 2012, her vet told her the jerky treats might be to blame. 
 
 “I fed my child poison,” said Belinski. 
 
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 More than a year ago, U.S pet food companies began pulling dog treats using Chinese chicken from their shelves after finding residues of antibiotics. In January 2013, Hartz Mountain, Del Monte and Nestle Purina pulled chicken jerky treats made in China from the market after illegal antibiotics were found in their products. The FDA said it did not believe the low levels of antibiotics found had caused illnesses. 
 
 In November 2013, NBC News used the Panjiva on-line database to review Customs records and trace a shipment of one of the pulled products, Nestle Purina’s Waggin’ Train chicken treats, to Qin’s factory in China. 
 
 At the factory, NBC News found a package of Del Monte’s Milo’s Kitchen chicken jerky treats, another of the products that had been pulled from shelves. Qin confirmed that he had supplied chicken jerky treats to both Del Monte and Nestle Purina, but said he no longer did. 
 
 “I used to be the biggest supplier [to the U.S.],” said Qin. 
 
 Qin said he was still exporting products to the U.S., but at lower volumes. A package of Cadet Gourmet Duck Breast jerky treats, a product marketed by IMS Pet Industries of Wood-Ridge, N.J., was coming off the assembly line as he spoke. He ate one of the treats to underline his contention that his products were safe. 
 
 The FDA has visited Qin’s Shandong factory and given it a clean bill of health, though Chinese regulators would not let them take samples out of the country for testing. 
 
 In the most recent FDA report, the humans who were reported to have been sickened after eating the products included two toddlers who ate them accidentally and an adult who may have been snacking on them on purpose. 
 
 One child was diagnosed with salmonella, another developed a gastrointestinal illness similar to that of the dogs sickened by the treats, and the adult reported nausea and headache, according to an FDA spokesperson. 
 
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 But in seven years of testing, the FDA has never identified a specific cause for the reported illnesses, though it continues to warn pet owners about the products. It has now asked the Centers for Disease Control for help in identifying a cause. 
 
 Meanwhile, U.S. manufacturers, who say their products are safe, have begun putting the pulled products back on the shelves-- though they have started sourcing some products in the U.S. In February, Nestle Purina Pet Care reintroduced a line of Waggin’ Train treats for dogs, including products made from a single supplier in China and new products sourced entirely in the U.S. Del Monte’s Milo’s Kitchen has also returned to shelves using U.S.-sourced meat. 
 
 “We've listened to our consumers,” said Del Monte in a statement, “and made a decision not to source even minor ingredients from China, as of April 2014.” 
 
 Nestle Purina and IMS did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
– Exactly why certain pet jerky treats have been linked to 1,000 dog deaths—and a handful of human illnesses—remains a mystery. But the concern over the treats, in particular those made in China, is enough for Petco to take action, the company says in a statement. Now, the company is becoming the first national pet chain to halt sales of all dog and cat treats made in China, NBC News reports. "We know the FDA hasn’t yet identified a direct cause for the reported illnesses, but we decided the uncertainty of the situation outweighs the lack of actual proof," says CEO Jim Myers. The deaths have been a matter of concern for years, and the FDA recently released startling new figures: Jerky treats have been associated with 1,000 dog deaths and almost 5,000 illnesses in dogs and cats, along with three human illnesses. Two of the humans were toddlers putting unusual items in their mouths, while one was an adult who apparently ate dog treats; why he or she did so isn't clear, Modern Farmer notes. Another human, however, seems to have survived munching on a dog treat with no ill effects: The owner of a Chinese factory implicated by NBC ate one himself to prove it was safe. The best bet, per Modern Farmer, is just not giving your pet any dog jerky.