The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and their partners are investigatingSalmonella Mbandaka illnesses in several states that appear to be linked to contact with backyard poultry.
.jpg)
So far, seven illnesses involving the outbreak strain have been identified from six states, which include Florida, Illinois, Missouri, South Dakota, Utah, and Wisconsin. Illness onset dates range from February 9 to March 24. “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,” the CDC said, noting that many people recover and are not tested and recent illness may not be reported yet.
Ohio lab finds clue tests on poultry shipping materials
Of seven people who were interviewed about animals they had contact with, five said they had contact with backyard poultry before they got sick. Of four people with information available, two had bought or obtained poultry from agricultural retail stores.
The CDC said the outbreak strain has been linked to two hatcheries in past outbreaks. One facility is linked to a positive poultry shipping material sample collected by Ohio health officials from the current outbreak that matches the samples from patients. “CDC is working with state partners to notify this hatchery of these links and assess any links to upstream suppliers. Additional hatcheries may be linked to the outbreak as the investigation continues,” the group said.