Salmonella outbreak in live poultry hits Wash., 10 other states
An outbreak of salmonella poisoning is spreading across the nation, with more cases reported in Washington than any other state, U.S. health officials said Saturday.
So far, 37 people in 11 states have been infected with the salmonella strain, which has been linked to live poultry from a hatchery in Idaho.
Nine of those infected are in Washington state. Two cases have also been reported in Arizona, one in California, three in Colorado, five in Idaho, two in Illinois, five in Oregon, two in Tennessee, one in Texas, five in Utah and two in Wyoming.
No one has died so far from the outbreak, but eight of the victims have been hospitalized, the U.S. Centers for Disese Control reported. Some 37 perent of illnesses are in children 10 years old or younger.
Laboratory findings and investigations have linked the outbreak to contact with live poultry from a mail-order hatchery in Idaho, which sells chicks, ducklings and other live poultry. The hatchery is not being named at the request of state authorities, CDC officials said.
Health officials said it's also possible that the number of cases could increase over time because there is a delay of two or three weeks between the time a person becomes ill and when the illness is reported.
Nearly nine of 10 victims of the salmonella outbreak reported contact with live poultry before becoming ill.
CDC officials say live poultry infected with salmonella can appear healthy and clean, but still shed germs that can make people sick.
Because live poultry from the affected hatchery may live in backyard flocks for long periods of time, people are advised to follow the advice to consumers issued by the CDC.
So far, 37 people in 11 states have been infected with the salmonella strain, which has been linked to live poultry from a hatchery in Idaho.
Nine of those infected are in Washington state. Two cases have also been reported in Arizona, one in California, three in Colorado, five in Idaho, two in Illinois, five in Oregon, two in Tennessee, one in Texas, five in Utah and two in Wyoming.
No one has died so far from the outbreak, but eight of the victims have been hospitalized, the U.S. Centers for Disese Control reported. Some 37 perent of illnesses are in children 10 years old or younger.
Laboratory findings and investigations have linked the outbreak to contact with live poultry from a mail-order hatchery in Idaho, which sells chicks, ducklings and other live poultry. The hatchery is not being named at the request of state authorities, CDC officials said.
Health officials said it's also possible that the number of cases could increase over time because there is a delay of two or three weeks between the time a person becomes ill and when the illness is reported.
Nearly nine of 10 victims of the salmonella outbreak reported contact with live poultry before becoming ill.
CDC officials say live poultry infected with salmonella can appear healthy and clean, but still shed germs that can make people sick.
Because live poultry from the affected hatchery may live in backyard flocks for long periods of time, people are advised to follow the advice to consumers issued by the CDC.
WOW! Nobody has blamed Obama for this yet??? Come on you tea baggers, you're slipping.
 @Tooby Roosday feeling a little left out are you? go find a live chick and play with it ;)
Does this include all the foster farms chicken in washington
 @walter hayes No. This is for LIVE chickens/chicks.  What this sounds like is a mail order place where people get their baby chicks to raise. It's not chickens that they're eating.  With the trendy "have a chicken in your yard" hipster thing, you'll see a lot more of this, as people don't really know how to handle them. and you have kids that are handling the chicks, then not washing their hands.  But this is not a meat recall.. this is for people that mail ordered baby chickens. Â
Mail order chicks?
"The hatchery is not being named at the request of state authorities, CDC officials said."
Well, that's certainly helpful. Don't bother providing any information that would alert consumers to any trouble with their animals. Sheesh.
 @JC maybe it was this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWXgtJP1IPs
I suppose this is somehow the chickens fault.
Who doesn't know that you need to wash your hands after being around farm animals?
Yeesh!
 @Fooey Patooey! the hipster urban farmers don't
Nearly nine of 10 victims of the salmonella outbreak reported contact with live poultry before becoming ill. ????
Does anyone proof read anymore? I guess 8 victims would be near ten also.
@swan What the writer said was nearly 90% of the people that touched live chickens
got sick. That means 31 to 33 of the 37 cases had contact with live chickens.
Pretty simple math.
 @swan I one time had a guy give me some bullets for his performance report. One of them said he did some task or goal 5+ times. I said, "So you did it 6 times?" Maybe it's the same guy writing this article. :)
Our hens keep my wife and I, our kids and my old business partner in good old home-fresh free-ranged eggs. I like them much better than store bought thin and runny eggs.