Ongoing Salmonella outbreaks have infected 150 additional individuals in 18 new states since April 23, bringing the total number of sick people to 184, including 53 hospitalizations and one death, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a May 14 update.
“Over a quarter of the people sickened in these outbreaks are children under 5 years old,” the agency said.
“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.”
Backyard poultry refers to small-scale poultry operations, typically set up in homes.
“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,” the agency added.
According to a May 14 investigation update, the 184 infected individuals have a median age of 31 years. State and local public health officials are currently interviewing sick individuals. Of the 141 people interviewed, 78 percent reported contact with backyard poultry.
Three strains of Salmonella have been reported—Saintpaul (133 cases), Enteritidis (32 cases), and Mbandaka (19 cases).
The CDC warned that the actual number of infected people could be higher since many people recover without being tested for the bacteria. The single death was reported in Washington.
“Investigators in Ohio collected samples from backyard poultry or from the inside of boxes used to ship poultry from hatcheries to retail stores,” the CDC said.
“The Salmonella Saintpaul and Mbandaka found in these samples were the same strains as those found in sick people.”
Kentucky is the most affected state with 22 infected, followed by Michigan with 21, Wisconsin with 17, and Ohio with 15. Idaho, Indiana, and Maine each reported 10 cases. In total, 31 states have now been affected.
The first report of a sick person came in around mid-January. Case numbers spiked in late March and April.
In a May 14 statement, the CDC warned that backyard poultry can carry Salmonella bacteria even if they seem clean and healthy. People can get sick from touching poultry or other items in their environment, then touching their mouths or consuming food with their hands.
“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,” the agency said.
“Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not readily available. If you take care of backyard poultry, consider keeping hand sanitizer at the coop.
“Don’t kiss or snuggle backyard poultry, and don’t eat or drink around them. They can carry Salmonella germs that can spread to your mouth and make you sick. Keep your backyard flock and the 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.”
The CDC warned people to get in touch with their health care provider “right away” in the case of diarrhea or fever higher than 102 degrees Fahrenheit, too much vomiting that liquids cannot be kept down, diarrhea for more than two days without any improvement, bloody diarrhea, and signs of dehydration, such as dry mouth and feeling dizzy when standing up.
Other symptoms of Salmonella infection include stomach cramps, nausea, loss of appetite, and headaches. Symptoms typically develop six hours to six days after swallowing Salmonella.
In most cases, the illness lasts for roughly four to seven days, with people typically recovering without requiring treatment. However, those with weak immune systems, children younger than 5 years of age, and adults 65 years and above face a higher risk of contracting severe illness.
The CDC is also currently investigating a Salmonella outbreak linked to pet veiled chameleons. Five children have been infected in this outbreak, all of whom are 2 years old or younger and were exposed to the same strain of bacteria.
“Reptiles are not recommended as pets for children under five as they are more likely to get a serious illness from germs that reptiles can carry,” the agency said.