CDC
Salmonella outbreaks from backyard poultry surge
Clinical Takeaway: Ask about live bird contact in patients with diarrheal illness, especially young children, and counsel families that kids under five should not handle chicks, ducklings, or coop materials.
Backyard flocks have grown more common, and so has Salmonella transmission linked to chicks, ducklings, and their environments. The CDC's latest update shows the investigation accelerating rapidly and falling hardest on the youngest household members.
When CDC posted its initial notice on April 23, the investigation covered a single Salmonella strain affecting 34 people across 13 states, with 13 hospitalizations and no deaths.
Three weeks later, the agency now is tracking three multistate outbreaks totaling 184 illnesses, with 150 new cases reported across 18 additional states. Hospitalizations rose to 53, and one person in Washington state died. More than a quarter of those sickened are children younger than five, the group at highest risk for severe disease.
Investigators have traced the outbreak strains to five hatcheries and are working with state partners to reach new poultry owners earlier. The largest of the three outbreaks shows an unusually high share of patients reporting contact with ducks, rather than the chicks that have driven most prior clusters. Case counts in active outbreaks typically lag actual illnesses by several weeks, so the true scope is likely larger.
Clinicians can reinforce a few practical household measures: 20 seconds of handwashing after any contact with birds, supplies, or eggs; dedicated shoes for the coop that stay outside; and keeping birds and equipment out of indoor living spaces. Children under five, adults 65 and older, and immunocompromised patients should avoid handling poultry altogether.
For patients with diarrhea, fever, and cramps 6 hours to 6 days after possible exposure, Salmonella belongs on the differential. Most cases resolve in 4 to 7 days without treatment, but young children and older adults warrant closer monitoring.
Source: CDC. May 14, 2026. UPDATE – Ongoing Salmonella outbreaks linked to backyard poultry sickens 150 more people with over a quarter of cases in children under 5 years old