Salmonella infections linked to backyard poultry top 1k cases: 5 things to know

Brian Zimmerman -

The CDC issued its final update on Oct. 19 regarding its investigation into 10 multistate outbreaks of Salmonella linked to poultry kept in residential backyards.

Here are five things to know.

1. From Jan. 4 to Sept. 22, the CDC identified 1,120 Salmonella infections across 48 states and the District of Columbia. The case count represents the largest number of illnesses linked to contact with backyard poultry ever recorded by the agency.

2. The update marks a 159-case increase since the CDC's last update on Aug. 11.

3. The outbreaks caused 249 hospitalizations and one death.

4. The outbreaks involved several different strains of the bacteria, including SalmonellaEnteritidis, Salmonella Hadar and Salmonella Typhimurium, among others.

5. To avoid infections, the CDC recommends individuals thoroughly wash their hands with soap and water after touching live poultry and not permit children under 5 years old to handle chicks, ducklings or other live poultry without adult supervision.

To learn more about the outbreaks, click here.

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