Don’t kiss: Hundreds sick, 1 dead in nationwide salmonella outbreak linked to chicks, ducklings

Posted on November 16, 2020 by Douglas Powell

Chicks and ducklings kept in backyards are the likely source of a nationwide Salmonella outbreak that has sickened nearly 1,000 people and killed one person, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in late July. The outbreak nearly doubled in size since the CDC’s last report on June 24. Sick people range in age from 1 to 94-years-old, and more than 150 people have been hospitalized.

“Don’t kiss backyard poultry or snuggle them and then touch your face or mouth,” the CDC says. “Don’t let backyard poultry inside the house, especially in areas where food or drink is prepared, served, or stored.”

Reported Cases: 938

States: 48

Hospitalizations: 151

Death: 1

Since the last update on June 24, 2020, 473 more ill people were added to this investigation.

That’s a lot of sick people, but Keith is the master of groove.

279 sick: Salmonella infections again linked to backyard poultry

Posted on June 15, 2019 by Douglas Powell

People, seriously, stop kissing your chicks.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control reports that since the last update on May 16, 2019, illnesses in an additional 227 people and 20 states have been added to this investigation. Four Salmonella serotypes have also been added.

A total of 279 people infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella have been reported from 41 states.

40 (26%) people have been hospitalized and no deaths have been reported.

70 (30%) people are children younger than 5 years.

Epidemiologic and laboratory evidence indicate that contact with backyard poultry, such as chicks and ducklings, from multiple hatcheries is the likely source of these outbreaks.

In interviews, 118 (77%) of 153 ill people reported contact with chicks or ducklings.

People reported obtaining chicks and ducklings from several sources, including agricultural stores, websites, and hatcheries.

One of the outbreak strains making people sick has been identified in samples collected from backyard poultry in Ohio.

People can get sick with Salmonella infections from touching backyard poultry or their environment. Backyard poultry can carry Salmonella bacteria but appear healthy and clean and show no signs of illness.

Follow these tips to stay healthy with your backyard flock:

Always wash your hands with soap and water right after touching backyard poultry or anything in the area where they live and roam.

Adults should supervise handwashing by young children.

Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not readily available.

Don’t let backyard poultry inside the house, especially in areas where food or drink is prepared, served, or stored.

Set aside a pair of shoes to wear while taking care of poultry and keep those shoes outside of the house.

Parents hate my food safety stories, so just a face palm: 611 sick with Salmonella from backyard chicks

Posted on July 20, 2016 by Douglas Powell

Sorenne rode her bike to school on Friday for the first time.

After months of angst, probably because she saw daddy wipe out and get 23 stiches a couple of years ago when she was on training wheels, she rode her bike.

Today (Wed) they had a bike-to-school day to play-bicycle-polo-on-the-tennis courts, and the number of kids and bikes was a bit much to handle.

But that’s a good problem.

I was chatting with a parent after school, while the kids retrieved their bikes that were stored at the swimming pool due to overload, and I said it was a nice problem to have, and then we chatted about the weather – depths of winter, 24C in Brisbane – and he said I guess spring has sprung, our backyard chickens laid two eggs yesterday, so I guess spring is here.

I smiled but inside I was doing my best Jean-Luc.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports there are now eight multistate outbreaks of human Salmonella infections linked to contact with live poultry in backyard flocks.

In the eight outbreaks, 611 people infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella were reported from 45 states.

Illnesses started on dates ranging from January 4, 2016 to June 25, 2016.

138 ill people were hospitalized, and one death was reported. Salmonella infection was not considered to be a cause of death.

195 (32%) ill people were children 5 years of age or younger.

Epidemiologic, traceback, and laboratory findings have linked the eight outbreaks to contact with live poultry such as chicks and ducklings sourced from multiple hatcheries.

Regardless of where they were purchased, all live poultry can carry Salmonella bacteria, even if they look healthy and clean.

These outbreaks are a reminder to follow steps to enjoy your backyard flock and keep your family healthy.

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.

Do not let children younger than 5 years of age handle or touch chicks, ducklings, or other live poultry without adult supervision.

These outbreaks are expected to continue for the next several months since flock owners might be unaware of the risk of Salmonella infection from live poultry or participate in risky behaviors that can result in infection.

Ill people reported purchasing live baby poultry from several suppliers, including feed supply stores, Internet sites, hatcheries, and friends in multiple states. Ill people reported purchasing live poultry to produce eggs, learn about agriculture, have as a hobby, enjoy for fun, keep as pets, or to give as Easter gifts. Some of the places ill people reported contact with live poultry include their home, someone else’s home, work, or school settings.

Public health officials collected samples from live poultry and the environments where the poultry live and roam from the homes of ill people in several states. Laboratory testing isolated four of the outbreak strains of Salmonella.

252 sickened: CDC still says, don’t kiss chicks

Posted on September 27, 2015 by Douglas Powell

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control says live poultry, including those kept in backyard flocks, remain an important source of human Salmonella infections in the United States.

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 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 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.

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) investigated four multistate outbreaks of human Salmonella infections linked to contact with live poultry.

252 people infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella were reported from 43 states.

63 ill people were hospitalized, and no deaths were reported.

Epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback findings linked these four outbreaks of human Salmonella infections to contact with chicks, ducklings, and other live poultry from multiple hatcheries.

146 (80%) of the 183 ill people who were interviewed reported contact with live poultry in the week before their illness began.

CDC’s National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) laboratory conducted antibiotic resistance testing on Salmonella isolates collected from 20 ill people infected with one of the outbreak strains.

19 (95%) isolates were susceptible to all antibiotics tested on the NARMS panel.

One (5%) isolate was resistant to sulfisoxazole.

Handwashing is never enough: 50 now sick with Salmonella from chicks in Canada

Posted on June 11, 2015 by Douglas Powell

Sure, Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux own 17 chickens, but they’re celebrities, so their poop don’t stink: The Public Health Agency of Canada says contact with live poultry can be a source of Salmonella, even if a bird appears healthy and clean.

You can get Salmonella from a bird, its droppings or from environments where birds have been. Proper hand washing is the key to protecting yourself from illness. Always wash your hands immediately after handling birds, cleaning up after them or being in an area where birds have been.

Currently there are 50 cases of Salmonella illness in four provinces: Alberta (27), British Columbia (18), Saskatchewan (4), and Manitoba (1). Eight people have been hospitalized, and all individuals have recovered or are recovering. Individuals became sick between April 5 and May 30, 2015, and all have reported contact with live baby poultry including chicks, turkey poults and goslings. Many individuals reported purchasing live poultry by mail-order or from feed supply storefronts for backyard flocks to produce eggs or meat. Poultry varieties commonly reported include: broiler chickens (meat birds) such as Cornish Giants; egg layers; dual-purpose breeds and turkeys. Traceback investigations have indicated that these birds were ordered from Miller Hatcheries and Rochester Hatchery catalogues. Both catalogues ship birds supplied by a single hatchery in Alberta.

Same as it ever was: 60 sick; CDC reports multistate outbreak of Salmonella Infantis and Salmonella Newport infections linked to live poultry in backyard flocks

Posted on May 10, 2014 by Douglas Powell

Amy was with Sorenne at Target while I was getting groceries. She texted to tell me, Same as it Ever Was was playing in the store.

The song is actually titled, Once in a Lifetime.

I said I was sure it was the goal of the Talking Heads in 1981 to have their music broadcast in an Australian department store 33 years later.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is collaborating with public health, veterinary, and agriculture officials in many states and with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) to investigate an outbreak of human Salmonella infections linked to contact with live poultry. Public health investigators are using the PulseNet system to identify cases of illness that may be part of this outbreak. PulseNet, the national subtyping network of public health and food regulatory agency laboratories coordinated by CDC, obtains DNA “fingerprints” of Salmonella bacteria through diagnostic testing with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, or PFGE.

As of May 7, 2014, a total of 60 persons infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Infantis or Salmonella Newport have been reported from 23 states. The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Alabama (1), Arizona (1), Arkansas (1), California (1), Colorado (2), Georgia (2), Idaho (2), Indiana (1), Kentucky (6), Maine (1), Maryland (2), New Hampshire (1), New Mexico (1), New York (6), North Carolina (3), Ohio (6), Pennsylvania (8), Tennessee (3), Utah (1), Vermont (3), Virginia (3), Washington (1), and West Virginia (4).

Among the persons who reported the date they became ill, illnesses began between and February 4, 2014 and April 21, 2014. Ill persons range in age from younger than one year to 95 years, and the median age is 29 years. Forty percent of ill persons are 10 years of age or younger. Fifty-seven percent of ill persons are male. Among 32 ill persons with available information, 10 (31%) have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

Epidemiologic and traceback investigations conducted by officials in local, state, and federal public health agencies indicate that contact with live poultry sourced from Mt. Healthy Hatcheries in Ohio is the likely source of this outbreak of Salmonella infections.

In interviews, ill persons answered questions about contact with animals and foods consumed during the week before becoming ill. Thirty-one (82%) of 38 ill persons interviewed reported contact with live poultry (e.g., chicks, chickens, ducks, ducklings) before becoming ill. Mt. Healthy Hatcheries sells birds to many different retailers. Nineteen (90%) of 21 ill persons with available purchase information reported purchasing live baby poultry from five different feed or farm store companies in multiple states. Ill persons reported purchasing live poultry for backyard flocks to produce eggs or meat, or to keep as pets.

Findings of multiple traceback investigations of live baby poultry from homes of ill persons have identified Mt. Healthy Hatcheries in Ohio as the source of chicks and ducklings. This hatchery uses multiple source flocks to obtain eggs and chicks, so it is unclear at this time where the contamination originated. This is the same mail-order hatchery that has been associated with multiple outbreaks of human Salmonella infections linked to live poultry in the past, including in 2012 and 2013. Public health, veterinary, and agriculture officials continue to work with this hatchery and have made recommendations for improvement. This hatchery is a member of the USDA National Poultry Improvement Plan, a program that is intended to eliminate certain strains of Salmonella that cause illness in poultry breeding flocks and hatcheries, but does not certify that these live poultry are free from other strains of Salmonella that may cause human illness.

Contact with live poultry can be a source of human Salmonella infections. Many ill persons in this outbreak reported bringing the live poultry into their homes, and others reported kissing or cuddling with the live poultry. These behaviors increase a person’s risk of a Salmonella infection from contact with live poultry. People can get sick even if they do not have direct contact with the live poultry, but touch items and places that have been contaminated in the poultry’s environment. Always wash hands thoroughly with soap and water right after touching live poultry or anything in the area where they live and roam. Adults should supervise hand washing for young children. 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 who sell or display chicks, ducklings and other live poultry should provide health-related information 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.

Les risques lies a la securite des aliments pendant paques

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Ben Chapman

Translated by Albert Amgar

La manipulation des poussins et des canetons peut entrainer une salmonellose,
Les oeufs crus sont liés a des epidémies
Risques dus aux poussins
Le CDC a rapporté ce mois-ci que 96 cas de salmonellose ont été liés à la manipulation de poussins pendant l’été 2011.
La plupart des patients ont rapporté avoir acheté des poussins ou des canetons dans une chaîne nationale de magasins d’aliments pour animaux qui a été fournie par un seul couvoir.
Depuis 1990, 35 épidémies d’infections humaines à Salmonella liées au contact avec des volailles vivantes ont été signalées.
Le lavage des mains après la manipulation des animaux, même les plus mignons, réduit le risque de maladie. Les enfants peuvent tomber malades en touchant les oiseaux et en mettant leurs mains directement dans la bouche ou en touchant des aliments.
Risques liés aux œufs
En 2011, les desserts produits par une boulangerie de Rhode Island ont été liés à 56 cas de maladies et un décès. Le Rhode Island Department of Health a souligné la contamination croisée avec des œufs crus comme source probable de contamination.
Les pâtisseries ont également été entreposées dans des caisses où des œufs cassés avaient été mis.
Des œufs pas assez cuits ou crus ont été liés à de multiples épidémies à Salmonella, dont 22 cas de maladies en Australie au début de 2012 et plus de 200 cas de maladies au Royaume-Uni en juin 2011.
• Les œufs peuvent héberger Salmonella et ont besoin d’être cuits à 63°C pendant 15 secondes ou jusqu’à ce que le jaune soit centré pour réduire les risques.
• Les œufs crus doivent être entreposés au réfrigérateur à une température égale ou inférieure à 7°C.
• Utilisez des œufs pasteurisés dans un plat à la place d’œufs crus pour réduire les risques.
Utilisez un colorant de qualité alimentaire, si vous souhaitez colorer des œufs. Si des œufs à la coque sont utilisés pour une chasse aux œufs, il est préférable de ne pas les consommer car les coquilles peuvent se fissurer permettant aux bactéries d’entrer. Si les œufs colorés doivent être consommés, conservez-les en dessous de 5°C après les avoir fait bouillir et colorer et ne pas les laisser hors du réfrigérateur pendant plus de 4h.

Cute birds outbreak grows to 71 with Salmonella in 16 states

Posted on June 30, 2011 by Douglas Powell

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control reports that 71 people –more than half children under 5-years-old – have been sickened with Salmonella Altona or Salmonella Johannesburg from handling chicks or ducklings, that have been traced back to the same mail-order hatchery in Ohio.

Reuters reported the implicated business was Mt. Healthy Hatchery, which supplies chicks and ducklings to an unnamed nationwide agricultural feedstore.

As of June 27, 2011, a total of 49 individuals infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Altona have been reported from 16 states and a total of 22 individuals infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Johannesburg have been reported from 12 states. Ill persons reported purchasing live poultry for either backyard flocks to produce eggs or as pets.

The complete CDC investigation update is available at http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/altona-baby-chicks/062911/index.html

Cute birds sicken 39 with salmonella in 15 states

Posted on June 10, 2011 by Douglas Powell

Baby chicks and ducklings may be fun to play with, especially for little kids, but they are also sources of salmonella.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control reports that 39 people –almost half children under 5-years-old – have been sickened with Salmonella Altona from handling chicks or ducklings, that have been traced back to the same mail-order hatchery in Ohio.

Reuters reported the implicated business was Mt. Healthy Hatchery, which supplies chicks and ducklings to an unnamed nationwide agricultural feedstore.

CDC reports among the persons with dates available, illnesses began between February 25, 2011 and May 23, 2011. Infected individuals range in age from less than one-year-old to 86-years-old and 44 percent of ill persons are 5 years of age or younger.

The complete CDC investigation update is available at http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/altona-baby-chicks/060911/index.html

Women fart, and that’s extra cool in New Zealand

Posted on February 21, 2009 by Douglas Powell

First it was Jamie Lee Curtis flogging Activia yoghurt, and its, uh, ability to restore digestive regularity.

Now New Zealand brewer Tui has shattered one of the great myths of the sexes, with a billboard that reads, "Chicks never fart. Yeah, right.”

A survey of almost 600 women was carried out by Anchor’s low-fat probiotic yoghurt brand Symbio, which is promoting a 14-day programme to reduce digestive problems.

The company says the programme – run through www.abetteryou.co.nz – has already registered 10,000 people.

The study of digestive health has found that 45 per cent of women experienced gas at least two to three times a week, but only 12 per cent of women are likely to tell their friends they’re experiencing some sort of discomfort, even though three-quarters feel embarrassment when it strikes during social situations.

Sue McCarty, chief executive of the Auckland-based Via finishing school, said it was a "complete myth women don’t pass wind."

For those suffering, her advice was: Better out than in. She said women here had less to be concerned about. "We’re in New Zealand, remember. Lots more things are acceptable here than in other cultures."

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