United States
CDC and public health officials in several states are currently investigating multistate outbreaks of Salmonella infections with serotypes Braenderup, Enteritidis, and Infantis linked to backyard poultry.
As of May 8, 2023, 104 people infected with one of the outbreak strains have been reported from 31 states (AL, AR, AZ, FL, GA, KS, MD, NC, NH, OR, SC, WY, NE, NJ, UT, WV, KY, WI, IL, IN, PA, TN, WA, MN, MO, NY, OK, VA, IA, MI, and OH). 19 have been hospitalized, and no deaths were reported. Illnesses started on dates ranging from January 1, 2023, to April 20, 2023.
State and local public health officials are interviewing people about the animals they had contact within the week before they got sick. Of the 69 people with information about animal contact, 48 (70%) reported contact with backyard poultry before getting sick. Of 45 people with information available, 10 (22%) reported eating eggs from backyard poultry.
CDC and state partners are working with hatcheries and stores that sell poultry to educate new poultry owners and control the spread of Salmonella at hatcheries.
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. 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.
CDC advises Backyard Flock Owners:
- Always wash your hands with soap and water immediately after touching backyard poultry, their eggs, or anything in the area where they live and roam.
- Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not readily available. Consider having hand sanitizer at your coop.
- Don’t kiss or snuggle backyard poultry, and don’t eat or drink around them. This can spread Salmonella germs to your mouth and make you sick.
- Keep your backyard flock and supplies you use to care for them (like feed containers and shoes you wear in the coop) outside of the house. You should also clean the supplies outside the house.
-Don’t let children younger than 5 years touch chicks, ducklings, or other backyard poultry. Young children are more likely to get sick from germs like Salmonella.
- Collect eggs often. Eggs that sit in the nest can become dirty or break.
- Throw away cracked eggs. Germs on the shell can more easily enter the egg through a cracked shell.
- Rub off dirt on eggs with fine sandpaper, a brush, or a cloth. Don’t wash eggs because colder water can pull germs into the egg.
- Refrigerate eggs to keep them fresh and slow the growth of germs.
- Cook eggs until both the yolk and white are firm, and cook egg dishes to an internal temperature of 160°F to kill all germs.
In case you are experiencing Salmonella symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever, it is important to report it. It can help to detect & resolve outbreaks early and prevent others from being harmed, and it enables better surveillance. If symptoms persist, seek medical care.
Source:
www.cdc.gov/salmonella/backyardpoultry-05-23/index.html
