A Fayette County pet food plant involved in two salmonella scares will be permanently closed, according to a notice sent to state officials.

Representatives for Mars Petcare U.S. Inc. notified the state Department of Labor and Industry in a Sept. 18 letter that 53 associates would be unemployed by year-end because of the decision to close the plant in Everson.

The notice came days after Mars announced a voluntary recall of cat and dog food made at the plant because of potential contamination with a strain of salmonella. Officials said they had stopped production in July and would not resume manufacturing until the source of the salmonella had been determined.

The same plant had been closed for a cleaning in 2007 after salmonella had been found in bags of dog food produced there.

Salmonella can cause diarrhea, fever and vomiting in pets. People handling contaminated pet foods can potentially be infected, too.

In materials announcing the most recent recall, the company said no direct link between product made this year at the Everson plant and human or pet illness had been seen.

Pet food brands affected included Ol' Roy, Pedigree, Retriever, Wegman's and Red Flannel, according to a Mars news release. Officials said many of those are national brands produced at multiple facilities. For example, just 2.7 percent of the company's Pedigree products came out of Everson.

The closure notice sent to state officials, as part of Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification requirements, said workers were told about the closure on Sept. 12. Layoffs could start in mid-November and continue into December.