6-state salmonella outbreak blamed on backyard chickens

What is salmonella infection?
People with salmonella infection often suffer diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps after getting in contact with infected animals, their feces, or their environment or eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water.
A multi-state salmonella outbreak is being blamed on backyard poultry, according to an announcement from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Backyard poultry can include chickens and ducks, the CDC said. These animals can carry the bacteria "even if they look healthy and clean.

FILE - Chicken in a backyard coop. (Rene Johnston/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
How many people are sick?
By the numbers:
So far, the CDC has confirmed seven cases across six states as of this report.
Illnesses were being reported as early as February.
What they're saying:
"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.
Where are the cases?
The salmonella cases include:
What is salmonella?
Dig deeper:
Salmonella are a group of bacteria that can cause gastrointestinal illness.
Most people infected with salmonella will begin to develop symptoms 12 to 72 hours after swallowing the bacteria. The illness, salmonellosis, usually lasts four to seven days and most people recover without treatment, according to the FDA.
Diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps are common symptoms.
The CDC says to call your healthcare provider if you have any of these severe symptoms:
- Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102°F
- Diarrhea for more than 3 days that is not improving
- Bloody diarrhea
- So much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down
- Signs of dehydration, such as: Not peeing much, Dry mouth and throat, Feeling dizzy when standing up
How to prevent Salmonella infections from backyard poultry
What you can do:
The CDC says you should take the following steps to prevent Salmonella infections when handling backyard poultry:
- Wash your hands immediately after touching backyard poultry, their eggs, or anything in the area where they live and roam.
- Supervise kids around flocks.
- Don’t kiss or snuggle backyard poultry, and don’t eat or drink around them. This can spread Salmonella germs to your mouth and make you sick.
- Handle eggs safely.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from previous reporting by FOX Local and an emailed announcement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This story was reported from Los Angeles.