The Salmonella Montevideo outbreak linked to live poultry produced by Estes Hatchery in Springfield, Mo., has now sickened 76 people in 22 states, according to the latest update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). At least 17 people have been hospitalized.
By state the case count is as follows: Alaska (1), California (2), Colorado (1), Florida (1), Georgia (1), Illinois (2), Indiana (9), Iowa (2), Kansas (10), Kentucky (1), Massachusetts (2), Missouri (24), Nebraska (8), Nevada (1), New York (1), North Carolina (1), Ohio (1), Oklahoma (4), South Dakota (1), Texas (1), Vermont (1), and Wyoming (1).
Those who became ill through contact with chicks, ducks and other live baby poultry range in age from less than 1 year to 83 years old. Many, about 37 percent, are children 10 and under. The first case patients became ill at the end of February. For the the most recent cases, onset of illness began in mid-July.
This outbreak is one of three multi-state Salmonella outbreaks linked to live poultry so far this year. In each case, lab tests and epidemiologic evidence has linked the outbreak to poultry produced by a specific hatchery. Estes Hatchery participates in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Poultry Improvement Plan, a program designed to eliminate Salmonella Pullorum and Salmonella Typhoid from breeder flocks.
Symptoms of Salmonella infection include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps which usually develop within six to 72 hours of exposure. Good hand washing is important after handling live poultry. Children under 5 should not be allowed to handle live poultry and older children should be supervised while washing their hands after conatct, according to the CDC.
