Mississippi State Department of Health

Salmonella and Poultry

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After you touch ducklings or chicks, wash your hands so you don't get sick!

Do you have live poultry (chickens, ducks, geese, guinea fowl, and turkeys) or are you thinking about building a coop?

Are you planning to have pictures taken with baby chicks or purchase baby chicks for the holidays?

Poultry can sometimes carry germs that make people sick even if they look clean and healthy.

In 2023, Mississippi had 21 cases of Salmonella reported that were linked to a national outbreak due to backyard poultry. These animals shouldn't be treated as pets, and adults and children should take steps to avoid contamination and illness from them.

What to Know

  • Contact with live poultry (chicks, chickens, ducklings, ducks, geese, and turkeys) can be a source of human Salmonella infections.

  • Salmonella germs can cause mild to severe diarrheal illness in people. Infants and older adults can die.

  • Chicks, ducklings, and other live poultry can carry Salmonella germs and still appear healthy and clean.

  • Salmonella germs are shed in their droppings and can easily contaminate their bodies and anything in areas where birds live and roam.

Protect Yourself and Your Family from Germs

DO

DON'T

More Information



Links referenced on this page
national outbreak    https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/backyardpoultry-05-23/map.html
What to Know    https://icongr.am/material/alert-rhombus.svg?color=ff5500
DO    https://icongr.am/material/check-bold.svg?color=008800
DON'T    https://icongr.am/material/close-thick.svg?color=ee0000
How to keep your family safe, and your poultry healthy    https://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/pets/farm-animals/backyard-poultry.html
Healthy Families and Flocks: Keeping backyard poultry safely    https://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/resources/backyard-flock.pdf
Checklist for new poultry owners    https://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/pdfs/DFWED-Backyard-Flock-Checklist-508.pdf

Find this page at https://msdh.ms.gov/page/14,28564,436.html

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