Vicksburg Family Dollar stores affected by regional warehouse rodent infestation

Published 10:49 pm Friday, February 18, 2022

Family Dollar issued a voluntary recall on Friday for products shipped from its West Memphis, Ark., warehouse after more than 1,000 rodents were found at the facility.

The recall impacts products at 404 stores across Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennesee — including the five Family Dollar locations in Vicksburg. According to a news release from the Food and Drug Administration, inside the warehouse, inspectors said they found live rodents, dead rodents in “various states of decay,” rodent feces, dead birds and bird droppings.

“There are numerous hazards associated with rodents including the potential presence of Salmonella,” the announcement from Family Dollar read. “Use or consumption of affected products may present risk of illness due to the potential presence of Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in infants, young children, frail or elderly people, pregnant persons, persons with pre-existent pathology (e.g., patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy treatments, organ transplant recipient, etc.) and others with weakened immune systems.”

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Family Dollar clarified that, so far, no complaints have been received regarding salmonella contracted from its products.

Products recalled include: human food, pet food, dietary supplements, cosmetics, medical devices and over-the-counter medications that were purchased in January or February from Family Dollar stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri or Tennessee.

In Vicksburg, Family Dollar stores shut their doors for a period of time on Friday afternoon. It is not clear whether the closure is related to the recall, but the company did ask affected retailers to check their inventory.

“Family Dollar is notifying its affected stores by letter asking them to check their stock immediately and to quarantine and discontinue the sale of any affected product,” the company said. “Customers that may have bought affected product may return such product to the Family Dollar store where they were purchased without receipt.”

Customers with questions regarding this recall may contact Family Dollar Customer Service at 844-636-7687 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Customers should contact their physician or health care provider if they have experienced any problems that may be related to using these products. Customers with concerns about their pets who have eaten the recalled animal food products should contact their veterinarian.