C.D.C. Alert: Stop Kissing and Snuggling Chickens or Ducks
A salmonella outbreak linked to backyard poultry has prompted U.S. health officials to issue a stern warning: Don’t kiss or snuggle your ducks and chickens.
There have been 163 illnesses and 34 hospitalizations reported across 43 states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last week. North Carolina had the most reported cases, with 13, followed by Iowa, with 11. About a third of the cases were in children under 5, the agency said.
The true number of sick people is most likely higher as many recover without medical attention and are not tested for salmonella, the C.D.C. said.
The likely source of the outbreak is contact with backyard poultry, the agency said.
“Don’t kiss or snuggle the birds, as this can spread germs to your mouth and make you sick,” the agency said.
That was among the guidelines that the C.D.C. offered to people who keep poultry at home, whether they are experienced owners or building their first backyard coop. They should always wash their hands for 20 seconds after contact with birds or related supplies, the agency said, and should not allow children under 5 to touch the birds.
Emily Shoop, a poultry educator at Penn State Extension, said on Monday that raising poultry was “the fastest-growing animal-related hobby in the United States.” The New York Times
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