A CDC investigation notice regarding three multistate outbreaks of Salmonella infections linked to backyard poultry has been updated: https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/outbreaks/saintpaul-04-26/index.html

Key Points:

• 150 more people across 18 new states have gotten sick with the outbreak strains of Salmonella that have been linked to backyard poultry, bringing the total count to 184 people. This includes 53 hospitalizations (40 new) and one death in a person from Washington state.
• Over a quarter of the people sickened in these outbreaks are children under 5 years old.
• Investigators are tracking three multistate outbreaks of Salmonella linked to backyard poultry.
• The largest outbreak in this investigation has an unusually high number of people reporting contact with ducks.
• These outbreak strains have been linked to five hatcheries. CDC is working with state partners to notify the hatcheries of these links to educate new poultry owners and control the spread of Salmonella at hatcheries

What You Should Do:

• Always wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds after touching birds, their supplies, or collecting eggs.
• Use a pair of dedicated shoes or boots for your coop and don’t wear them inside your house.
• Keep birds and supplies outside the house to prevent spreading germs inside.
• Children younger than 5 years old shouldn’t handle the birds (including chicks and ducklings) or anything in the area where the birds live and roam. They are more likely to get very sick from Salmonella.
• Watch these videos to learn more about how to keep yourself, your family, and your backyard poultry safe and healthy.

What Businesses Should Do:

• Source poultry from hatcheries that take steps to reduce Salmonella contamination.
• Clean and sanitize poultry display areas between shipments of new poultry.
• Provide handwashing stations or hand sanitizers next to poultry display areas and tell customers to wash hands right after leaving these areas.
• Display poultry out of reach of customers, especially chil­dren, so they cannot easily touch the poultry.

About Salmonella:

• Most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps 6 hours to 6 days after being exposed to the bacteria.
• The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most people recover without treatment.
• In some people, the illness may be so severe that the patient is hospitalized.
• Children younger than 5, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have more severe illness.

If you have questions about cases in a particular state, please call that state’s health department.

If you are a member of the media, please fill out this Request for Comment form to submit your media inquiry to CDC.