Does my son have salmonella?? I need advice

[GeeChickens]

My 4 year old is obsessed with our chickens and spends a great deal of time with them and they are very friendly and affectionate. Last Saturday night he threw up ALL night long.... it was worse than I have ever seen a child throw up. It is now Friday and he hasn't seemed consistently sick, but he has thrown up on several occasions (Mon night, Wednesday night and Thursday night) he has complained of a stomach ache all week and has had diarrhea. I am new to owning chickens and honestly the thought of salmonella never crossed my mind until I heard something on the radio about I this afternoon. Has anyone elses child came down with it and does it sound like what we are dealing with? Is it ok if my flock is contaminated or does that mean all my eggs will be too? Should I seek medical attention for my son, or does it go away on its own?? Should I not let the kids near them? Also they are free range, do am I risking salmonella being all over our yard? Any advice would be MUCHLY appreciated. Thank you!

 

[Pyxis]

Well, either way, I'd take your son to the doctor...better safe than sorry at any rate. If your chickens have salmonella, then yes, it could be in your eggs. However, salmonella is much more common in big poultry factory farms than in backyard flocks. I don't know a single backyard flock owner who's had it. However, you can always have your birds tested to ease your mind. Contact your local state vet and ask about becoming NPIP certified. In my state it's free and it might be in yours, or there could be a small fee, but they'll come and test your birds for you. Possibly you might find a vet who would do it too, but it would most likely cost a lot - in the vet world, chickens are considered exotics.

 

[aart]

I'd definitely take your son to the doctor, I'd guess they'd need a stool sample so it can be cultured.
Hopefully they won't over react and cause a big stink and make you and everyone else in your area get rid of their chickens.

There are different strains of salmonella I believe, NPIP tests for Salmonella Pullorum.

All chickens carry some salmonella and E.coli.......organisms that cause little harm unless they grow out of control due to certain situations.

Chances are, if the illness came from the chickens it's because he handles them a lot, is exposed to their feces and doesn't wash well before putting his hands near/in his mouth.

 

[torilovessmiles]

Basically, salmonella infection is food poisoning. It could be that, or it could be a stomach bug. Since this has been going on for some time, it's definitely time for a doctor's visit!
All chickens have salmonella bacteria, it's like E-coli in mammals. It's in their poop! The problem is when you ingest a lot of it (you can fight off most of the bacteria). Take him to the doctor, and from now on, make sure he washes his hands after handling the chickens. As long as hand-washing is well implemented and the coop is fairly clean, salmonella really isn't much of a risk
Also, salmonella exists on the shell of the eggs, usually not the inside. A baby chick has to grow in there if incubated, so it's actually a pretty sterile environment. Cracking the egg on the counter instead of the bowl prevents contamination of your food.
Get well wishes to your son!