Don't kiss chickens: US health body warns people amid Salmonella outbreak

Washington: The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned that a growing Salmonella outbreak may be linked to backyard poultry, urging Americans to stop kissing or snuggling chickens. In an investigation notice published on Thursday, the CDC said that 163 cases of confirmed illness have been reported across 43 states. Out of the reported cases, the median age of sick people was 24 and 58 per cent of those were female.

The US health agency noted that the true number is likely to be much higher since many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella. “Epidemiologic and laboratory data show that contact with backyard poultry is making people sick,” the report said, adding that 81 people, out of 92 interviewed by state and local public health officials, reported contact with backyard poultry before getting sick.

"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 said.

Salmonella causes diarrhoea, fever, and stomach cramps and some people may also have nausea, vomiting, or a headache. The symptoms of the bacterial infection usually start within 6 hours to 6 days after infection and last 4-7 days. The CDC issued an advisory on what backyard flock owners should do in order to prevent the disease.

“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 investigation notice said.

The CDC has advised owners to wash their hands with soap and water immediately after touching backyard poultry, their eggs, or anything in the area where they live and roam. It also asked to not let children younger than 5 years touch chicks, ducklings, or other backyard poultry as they are more likely to get sick from germs like Salmonella. As per an estimate by the CDC, Salmonella bacteria cause about 1.35 million infections, 26,500 hospitalisations, and 420 deaths in the United States every year.