The Latest Salmonella Outbreak Is a Result of People Kissing Chickens

You could get Salmonella.

The CDC has traced the outbreak to live baby poultry from homes of ill people who purchased the birds from multiple hatcheries.

The foodborne illness seems to have spread fast, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the majority of people who fell ill had come into close contact with poultry over the past week, with the most cases in Alabama, Mississippi, and Virginia. The CDC has said that people should allow live poultry inside their house.

At least 181 people in 40 states have been infected in a major salmonella outbreak in the USA, and numerous cases have been caused in part by people getting a little too friendly with live poultry such as chicken and ducks.

However, salmonella is usually contracted from eating or handling food infected with the salmonella bacteria rather than from getting up close and personal with a live chicken. In the report, the officials have stated that people should not cuddle chicken and salmonella can take place from many things. Salmonella’s symptoms include diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps and in certain cases, it can cause death as well. So far, 33 have been hospitalized. By using the CDC’s PulseNet system to subtype the Salmonella bacteria found in these patients, they identified the strains as Enteritidis, Hadar, Indiana and Meunchen, MD News reported.

Always wash hands thoroughly with soap and water right after touching live poultry or anything in the area where the birds live and roam. The agency also notes that breastfeeding helps protect infants from salmonella and other diseases.