‘Don’t kiss or snuggle’ backyard poultry, CDC warns in latest salmonella alert

Federal officials once again urged Americans not to get too close to chickens, ducks and other poultry as another salmonella outbreak spreads to 43 states, sickening more than 160 people since February.

“Don’t kiss or snuggle backyard poultry, and don’t eat or drink around them. This can spread Salmonella germs to your mouth and make you sick,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in an investigation notice Thursday.

The agency also warned owners of backyard flocks to keep animals and supplies outside the house and not let children younger than 5 years old touch chicks, ducklings or other backyard poultry. Young kids are more likely to get sick from salmonella, according to the CDC.

This is the second time since December that authorities ask people not to touch or kiss backyard poultry over salmonella concerns. In 2020, the CDC investigated 17 separate salmonella outbreaks linked to contact with poultry in backyard flocks. The number of illnesses reported last year was higher than any of the past years’ outbreaks linked to backyard poultry, according to the agency.

So far in 2021, at least 163 illnesses have been reported in 43 states, including two in New York, two in New Jersey and three in Connecticut. North Carolina has seen the most cases, with at least 13 sick people so far.

Thirty-four people have been hospitalized for salmonella treatment, but no deaths have been reported this year, according to the CDC.

Common symptoms of a salmonella infection include bloody diarrhea, excessive vomiting, dehydration and fever.

The agency also advised owners of backyard flocks to always wash their hands immediately after touching the animals, their eggs or anything in the area where they live.

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