On May 23, 2024, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 109 people from 29 states had gotten sick from Salmonella to date after touching or caring for backyard poultry. 33 people were hospitalized and no deaths were reported. In this outbreak, 43% of the people infected with Salmonella were under 5 years old.

Backyard poultry can carry Salmonella germs even if they look healthy and clean. These germs can easily spread to anything in the areas where the poultry live and roam. You can get sick from touching your backyard poultry or anything in their environment and then touching your mouth or food and swallowing Salmonella.

Most people infected with Salmonella experience diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps.

• Symptoms usually start 6 hours to 6 days after swallowing the bacteria.
• Most people recover without treatment after 4 to 7 days.

Some people—especially children younger than 5 years, adults 65 years and older, and people with weakened immune systems—may experience more severe illnesses that require medical treatment or hospitalization.