USA – CDC – Four Multistate Outbreaks of Human Salmonella Infections Linked to Live Poultry in Backyard Flocks

CDC 

• CDC, public health, veterinary, and agriculture officials in many states and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) are investigating four multistate outbreaks of human Salmonella infections linked to contact with live poultry.
• As of June 29, 2015, 181 people infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella have been reported from 40 states.
  • 33 ill people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
• Epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback findings have linked these four outbreaks of human Salmonella infections to contact with chicks, ducklings, and other live poultry from multiple hatcheries.
  • Eighty-two (86%) of the 95 ill people who were interviewed reported contact with live poultry in the week before their illness began.
• CDC’s National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System(http://www.cdc.gov/narms/) (NARMS) laboratory conducted antibiotic resistance testing on Salmonella isolates collected from seven ill people infected with one of the outbreak strains.
  • All seven isolates were susceptible to all antibiotics tested on the NARMS panel.
  • Antibiotic resistance testing continues on additional isolates collected from ill people infected with the outbreak strains.
• Backyard flock owners should take steps to protect themselves and their families:
  • Always wash hands thoroughly with soap and water right after touching live poultry or anything in the area where the birds live and roam.
  • Do not let live poultry inside the house.
  • Learn about additional recommendations(http://www.cdc.gov/features/salmonellapoultry/index.html) to prevent Salmonella infections from live poultry. These recommendations are important and apply to all live poultry, regardless of the age of the birds or where they were purchased.
• Mail-order hatcheries, agricultural feed stores, and others that sell or display chicks, ducklings, and other live poultry should provide health-related information(http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/publications/index.html) to owners and potential purchasers of these birds prior to the point of purchase. This should include information about the risk of acquiring a Salmonella infection from contact with live poultry.
  • Read the advice to mail-order hatcheries and feed stores(http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/live-poultry-04-13/advice-consumers.html) and others that sell or display live poultry.