Nationwide outbreak of salmonella related to backyard poultry

A salmonella outbreak across 29 states coming from interactions with backyard chickens and ducks was discovered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There are 109 cases of salmonella, with 33 requiring hospitalizations. According to the CDC, every infected person had contact with some sort of backyard poultry, so now the CDC is recommending that those in contact with them should wash their hands after dealing with them.

“Backyard poultry, such as chickens and ducks, can carry Salmonella germs even if they look healthy and clean. These germs can easily spread to anything in the areas where the poultry live and roam,” the CDC wrote in its advisory. “You can get sick from touching your backyard poultry or anything in their environment and then touching your mouth or food and swallowing Salmonella germs.”

Another outbreak of a similar origin occurred last October. However, the last major outbreak from earlier this year was linked to charcuterie meats. Normally foods that are cooked to a certain temperature can rid themselves of the bacteria. Now poultry handlers are recommended to collect eggs often in order to limit contact with the bacteria.

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The number of infections is likely underreported as most people can recover on their own. Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri saw the most reported cases.

Symptoms of salmonella poisoning include diarrhea, stomach cramps, and a fever, which may begin to show as late as six days after consumption. Most people recover within a week, but for those with weakened immune systems, such as children under 5 and people over 65, more serious illnesses may occur.