Do you have plans to barbecue this weekend, or have chicken that you plan on cooking? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issues a salmonella warning Thursday for backyard flocks.
KRPS’s Fred Fletcher-Fierro has more.
Ahead of the busy outdoor cooking Memorial Day holiday the CDC issued a warning that 109 people from 29 states have gotten sick from Salmonella after touching or caring for backyard poultry.
33 people have been hospitalized however no deaths have been reported. In this outbreak, 43% of the people infected with Salmonella are under 5 years old. Backyard poultry can carry Salmonella germs even if they look healthy and clean.
These germs can easily spread to anything in the areas where the poultry live and roam. 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.
The CDC suggests washing your hands immediately after touching backyard poultry, their eggs, or anything in the area where they live and roam. Supervise kids around flocks.
Young children are more likely to become very ill from Salmonella. Also, don’t kiss or snuggle backyard poultry, and don’t eat or drink around them.
Finally, call your healthcare provider right away if you are experiencing any severe symptoms of Salmonella.
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