With the COVID-19 pandemic wearing on, many Americans are turning to raising poultry to fill their extra time at home. While raising backyard birds is a great idea—whether for food, for educational purposes, or as a hobby—the influx of new flocks has put humans, as well as the birds they care for, at risk of Salmonella sickness.
As of July 28, 2020, more than 938 people in 48 states have reported being infected with one of the outbreak strains of Salmonella—a 22% increase from 2019. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 151 people—or 33% of those with information available—were hospitalized as a result of their sickness. Even more concerning, 28% of the reported infections are from children younger than five years of age.
“It is a serious nationwide problem,” says Sherrill Davison, associate professor of avian medicine and pathology at Penn Vet’s New Bolton Center. Davison is also Penn Vet’s lead avian flock health expert where she works to manage emerging health and biosecurity issues in flocks—large and small—across the country.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Davison has seen an increase in phone calls from new flock owners looking for general management resources for their birds. She also gets calls from local veterinarians who may not be experts in avian health but need reliable information for their clients.
Based on the most recent data available from the CDC, 74% of individuals sickened in 2020 have reported contact with backyard poultry. But fear of contracting Salmonella does not mean individuals should be discouraged from enjoying birds. “The most important over-arching theme is to keep things around the birds clean and dry,” encourages Davison.
This story is by Curt Harler and Hannah Kleckner Hall. Read more at Penn Vet News.
