CDC Links 13-State Salmonella Outbreak to Backyard Poultry

ATLANTA - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said a Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak tied to backyard poultry has sickened 34 people in 13 states, hospitalized 13 people, and caused no reported deaths.

The CDC said the investigation remains open and warned that healthy-looking chickens and ducks can carry Salmonella germs. The agency said the true number of illnesses is likely higher because many people recover without medical care and never get tested.

What Happened

The CDC said epidemiologic, traceback, and laboratory data show contact with backyard poultry is making people sick. According to the agency's investigation update, illnesses began from February 26 to March 31, and 13 of 27 people with hospitalization information available were hospitalized.

State and local health officials interviewed patients about animal contact in the week before they became ill. According to the CDC, 23 of 29 people interviewed, or 79%, reported contact with backyard poultry.

Traceback data also pointed toward recently obtained birds. The CDC said 13 of 14 people who reported owning backyard poultry, or 93%, purchased or obtained poultry since January 1, 2026. The agency said people reported getting birds from several places, including agricultural retail stores, and investigators are still collecting information about where sick people obtained poultry and which hatcheries supplied retail stores.

The laboratory findings narrowed the link further. The CDC said whole genome sequencing showed bacteria from sick people's samples were closely related genetically, which suggested people in the outbreak became sick from contact with the same type of animal. The agency said investigators in Ohio found Salmonella Saintpaul in backyard poultry samples that matched the outbreak strain.

The CDC also reported antimicrobial resistance findings from the genetic data. According to the investigation update, bacteria from 34 patient samples were predicted to have resistance to fosfomycin, and eight samples were predicted to have resistance to one or more of chloramphenicol, streptomycin, sulfisoxazole, and tetracycline.

The Response

The CDC's advice to households centers on keeping germs outside the home. The agency told flock owners to wash hands with soap and water for 20 seconds after touching birds, supplies, or eggs; use dedicated shoes or boots for the coop; keep birds and supplies outside the house; and avoid kissing or snuggling poultry.

The CDC highlighted children younger than 5 as a high-risk group. In its media alert, the agency said young children should not handle birds, including chicks and ducklings, or touch anything in areas where the birds live and roam because they are more likely to get sick from Salmonella.

The agency's backyard poultry guidance says older adults and people with weakened immune systems also face higher risk of severe illness. The CDC says most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps 6 hours to 6 days after exposure, and illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days.

Photo by Kirsten Strough, USDA, via Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

For eggs, the CDC told backyard flock owners to collect eggs often, throw away cracked eggs, refrigerate eggs after collection, and cook eggs until both the yolk and white are firm. The agency said eggshells can become contaminated with Salmonella and other germs from poultry droppings or the areas where eggs are laid.

The business guidance puts responsibility on retail stores and hatcheries as well as families. The CDC said stores that sell backyard poultry should source birds from hatcheries that take steps to reduce Salmonella contamination, clean and sanitize display areas between shipments, provide handwashing stations or sanitizer near poultry display areas, tell customers to wash hands after leaving those areas, and display poultry out of easy customer reach, especially away from children.

The CDC said hatcheries should use best management practices, provide health information to buyers, and participate in the Agriculture Department's National Poultry Improvement Plan U.S. Salmonella Monitored Program. According to USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the NPIP is a voluntary federal-state cooperative testing and certification program for poultry breeding flocks, baby chicks, poults, hatching eggs, hatcheries, and dealers.

APHIS says the NPIP includes programs such as U.S. Salmonella Monitored and U.S. Sanitation Monitored that are intended to reduce salmonella organisms in hatching eggs, chicks, and poults through sanitation procedures at breeder farms and hatcheries.

What People Are Saying

"Thirty-four people across 13 states have gotten sick with the same strain of Salmonella that has been linked to backyard poultry. Among the 34 sick people, 13 have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported." - CDC News Media Branch, in its May 2026 media alert.

"Epidemiologic, traceback, and laboratory data show that contact with backyard poultry is making people sick." - CDC investigation update for the Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak.

"Backyard poultry, like chickens and ducks, can carry Salmonella germs even if they look healthy and clean." - CDC media alert and backyard poultry guidance.

"The true number of sick people in an outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses." - CDC investigation update.

The Big Picture

The CDC has not named a specific hatchery, agricultural retailer, or state as the source of the outbreak. The agency said investigators are still collecting information about where sick people obtained poultry and what hatcheries supplied the retail stores where ill people purchased birds.

For households, the agency's message is practical rather than alarmist: people can keep backyard poultry, but they should treat birds, coops, eggs, and poultry supplies as possible Salmonella sources. The next signals to watch are CDC updates on additional cases, any narrowed traceback finding, and whether public health officials identify a shared supplier or retail chain.