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‘Don’t kiss or snuggle’ your chickens: CDC investigating salmonella outbreak linked to backyard poultry operations
Patriot-News - 6/13/2022
The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention are investigating an outbreak of salmonella that has been linked to contact with backyard poultry operations.
As of June 2, the CDC said, 219 people infected with one of the outbreak strains of salmonella were reported in 38 states, including Pennsylvania, which has 12 cases.
The salmonella strains identified are enteritidis, hadar, infantis, and typhimurium.
The CDC said illnesses start dates ranged from Feb. 15 to May 19.
Of the 113 illnesses for which information was available, 27 were hospitalized and one person in Tennessee died.
“The true number of sick people in an outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses. This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for salmonella. In addition, recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes 2 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak,” the CDC said.
The CDC said that state and local health officials interviewed the sick people. About three quarters of them reported contact with backyard poultry. Some ate eggs from the poultry and two ate meat.
“Most people with salmonella illness recover without antibiotics. However, if antibiotics are needed, this resistance is unlikely to affect the choice of antibiotic used to treat most people,” the CDC said.
According to the CDC, “Backyard poultry, like 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 advises:
Symptoms of salmonella include diarrhea, fever higher than 102 degrees, bloody diarrhea, vomiting and dehydration such as not peeing often, dry mouth and throat and feeling dizzy when standing up.
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