Salmonella cases across 43 states tied to contact with feathery friends. What to know
Don’t kiss your pet chickens, officials warn.
As of Thursday, dozens of people have gotten sick in salmonella outbreaks tied to having contact with feathery friends, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
At least 163 salmonella cases and 34 hospitalizations have been reported since February as part of the outbreaks. The cases are spread across 43 states, with North Carolina leading the number of statewide infections at 13, data show. Other states impacted include: California, Washington, Texas, Missouri, Illinois, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Georgia, Florida and South Carolina.
“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,” the CDC said on its website. “This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella.”
Also, recent cases may not be included because it can take up to four weeks to link a salmonella case to an outbreak, officials said in an alert about their “active” investigation into the infections. Here’s what else to know:
How can you stay safe?
Chickens, ducks and other poultry are becoming increasingly popular pets, but they can carry germs that have the potential to spread to people.
That includes salmonella, which birds can transmit to people even if they appear to be healthy, the CDC said.
“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,” health officials said Thursday.
To help prevent illness, the CDC urges people who own flocks to take the following precautions:
- Wash your hands after being in contact with poultry and items in the animals’ living spaces.
Keep backyard poultry out of your home.
- Avoid kissing and snuggling with the birds.
- Stop children younger than 5 from touching them because they’re more likely to get infected.
Health officials also encourage everyone to keep safety in mind while handling eggs. Here are some additional recommendations:
- Gather eggs often.
- Throw away broken eggs.
- Use a cloth to clean eggs instead of washing them.
- Refrigerate eggs before cooking them thoroughly.
What is salmonella?
Salmonella is a bacteria that can infect people and make them sick.
Signs usually include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps, which may be more severe for young children, adults older than 65 and people who have weakened immune systems.
“Symptoms usually begin six hours to six days after infection and last four to seven days,” the CDC said on its website. “However, some people do not develop symptoms for several weeks after infection and others experience symptoms for several weeks.”
In addition to eggs, salmonella can be found in produce, pork and packaged foods, the CDC said it’s important to check for recalls and keep perishables refrigerated. Food is the most common source of the roughly 1.35 million U.S. infections and 420 deaths from salmonella each year, according to the CDC.
This story was originally published May 21, 2021 at 3:46 PM with the headline "Salmonella cases across 43 states tied to contact with feathery friends. What to know."
