Salmonella from live poultry sickened 363 people in 2014. The illnesses were part of five clusters that occurred from February through October.
Many of those who became ill reported purchasing live poultry from the mail order hatchery, Mt. Healthy Hatcheries in Ohio, which was also linked to Salmonella outbreaks in 2012 and 2013.
The outbreak strains in the 2014 outbreak included Salmonella Infantis, Salmonella Newport, and Salmonella Hadar. Illnesses were reported from 43 states and Puerto Rico. When combined, the illnesses represent the largest live poultry-associated salmonellosis outbreak in the United States.
About 35 percent of those who were sickened 10 years old or younger. Thirty three percent of those sickened were hospitalized. About a quarter of those sickened reported keeping the live poultry in their homes rather than outside.
Hatcheries need to use Salmonella prevention and control programs to prevent outbreaks, according to USDA rules. In addition to working on Salmonella prevention, hatcheries also need to do a better job educating consumers about the Salmonella risks associated with maintaining live poultry flocks.
