Salmonella outbreaks linked to poultry in backyard flocks, health officials say

A total of 324 people reported falling ill between Jan. 4 and May 11 in 35 states, including Oklahoma, Texas, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. Sixty-six people were hospitalized with salmonella. Of those, one person died, although the CDC said salmonella was not suspected as the cause of death.

Over 90 percent of the 238 ill people interviewed told investigators that they were around live poultry in the week before falling ill. Samples taken from live poultry in several states also tested positive for salmonella.

"Ill people reported purchasing live baby poultry from several different suppliers, including feed supply stores, co-ops, hatcheries and friends in multiple states," CDC officials said in an outbreak summary released late last week.

Officials expect the outbreaks to continue "for the next several months," because flock owners may not be aware of the risk of salmonella associated with live birds.

The infected birds came from multiple hatcheries, according to the CDC.

"Regardless of where they were purchased, all live poultry can carry salmonella bacteria, even if they look healthy and clean," health officials said.

Salmonella infections typically last between four and seven days and rarely require hospitalization. In rare cases, the infection can cause death unless a person is promptly treated with antibiotics. Salmonella causes diarrhea, fever and abdominal craps. It can be particularly hard on children under 5 years old, adults over 65 and people with weakened immune systems.

The CDC released a list of tips for people who own backyard flocks: