More than two dozen people across 13 states have become ill with salmonella-linked food poisoning, some with antibiotic-resistant strains, between February and March, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Over a roughly one-month period, 34 people were infected with salmonella, mostly after coming into contact with backyard poultry such as chickens, ducks, turkeys or geese. Approximately 13 of the people infected were hospitalized as a result.
While there have been no deaths associated with the salmonella outbreak, the CDC is warning people to wash their hands thoroughly after touching the poultry as well as their eggs, handle eggs safely, keep the backyard poultry at a safe distance and monitor children.
A large portion of those infected, 41 percent, have been children under the age of 5 years old. Young children are more likely to become sick with salmonella and can suffer from severe illness as a result.
The strain of salmonella is particularly notable because samples from those who became ill show that it is predicted to be resistant to antibiotics such as fosfomycin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, sulfisoxazole and tetracycline.
Infections that are resistant to antibiotics can lead to health complications or increase the risk of death because they are extremely difficult to treat and require second or third-line treatments that may have serious side effects.
The exact traces to the outbreak are currently unknown.
Of the 29 people interviewed, 23 said they had come into contact with backyard poultry the week before they got sick. Roughly 14 of those people said they owned backyard poultry – almost all of which had purchased or obtained the animals since Janaury 1.
CDC investigators are collecting information about where the sick people obtained the backyard poultry or which hatcheries supplied the animals.
Many of the salmonella infections have been found in people living in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin.
Cases have also popped up in Florida, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Tennessee, and West Virginia.
However, people living in other states may be experiencing outbreaks of the salmonella strain. The CDC said the true number of sick people is likely much higher than the number reported.
Salmonella is the leading cause of food poisoning-related hospitalizations and deaths in the United States, with an estimated 1.35 million cases arising, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
Most people recover from salmonella poisoning without needing professional medical intervention, though approximately 26,500 people are hospitalized and 420 people die each year from it.
