Salmonella outbreak 2018

[cbookout]

according to CDC in 2017 there were 1,120 cases of salmonella in 48 states with one reported death. So far in 2018 from February 15 to June 21 there have been 212 reported cases in 44 states, no deaths. Report says Backyard chickens are spreading salmonella.

Can be spread through handling of poultry equipment as well as poultry themselves, cuddling, kissing etc. Was hands thoroughly when handling poultry and/ or their equipment.

I know there are folks that give or sell unwashed eggs but isn't that a good way to spread salmonella? it appears that with the growth of having backyard chickens, so are the cases of salmonella. Maybe we should be more proactive in informing newbies to chicks/chickens/ducks etc. of the possibility of catching /preventing this. I know some of us already are.
Edited to say 212 cases so far as of July 13, not 13,212. My apologies on not putting the correct number from the paper.

According to the CDC, you should never wash eggs. Because it pulls the bacteria from the outside of the egg, into the egg. I've been washing my chickens eggs for 5 years, sometimes even soaking them because that's what the recommendation was from Storeys Guide to Raising Chickens. Well last week my 4 year old son was diagnosed with Salmonella. (I keep the chickens at another property so my son does not handle the chickens or come in contact with their feces.) I don't know that it was from my eggs for sure but I will say we eat eggs 3 times a week, and he ate my eggs twice during the 5 day incubation period before showing symptoms. (The CDC is currently testing my son's stool sample to try and pinpoint the Salmonella species.) After 2 ER visits to pinpoint the cause, I've had to watch my 4 year old have uncontrollable diarrhea, blood in his stool, horrible stomach cramps, 103 fever that cannot be brought down by medicine, not being able to sleep for 4 days and dropping 10lbs from his already tiny body. I will never rinse my eggs again. It says just to use sandpaper to remove any debris and throw away extremely soiled eggs. I also ordered the live salmonella vaccine for chickens. I've given them their first dose already via the water supply and they get another dose in 14 days and then a follow up dose every year. I will never not vaccinate my chickens ever again either. Britain vaccinates all their birds for Salmonella and they have almost no cases of salmonella caused by eggs since they started that practice. Here is the CDC fact sheet regarding the increase in Salmonella cases attributed to backyard chicken flocks.

https://www.cdc.gov/Features/SalmonellaPoultry/index.html

 

[micstrachan]

I, too, immediately noticed the pale combs and desperation to drink. That video paints a rosy picture compared to reality. It makes my blood boil when I think of how poorly so many commercial laying hens are treated. Those hens have never seen the sky, never touched the ground, never flapped their wings (not to mention being debeaked, standing in feces, being rubbed raw on the cages and worse.)
Thank goodness for backyard chicken keeping raising awareness about animal cruelty. Sorry; I can’t say I feel sorry for the egg industry. Maybe they should pay attention to more than just the bottom line.
Mods, I apologize if I’ve gotten too political and will stop my rant. For those interested, but not for the weak at heart, there are numerous videos online exposing animal cruelty, especially in the commercial egg industry.

Edited to add: There are some wonderful pasture-raised egg operations where the hens are treated quite well. My parents now buy their eggs here:
https://www.hooverranch.com/#modern-organic-thai

 

[trudyg]

I wonder why they aren't also focusing on the rest of the vastly more likely ways to get salmonella

I think they want to push for regulations, which turn into money.

It makes me wonder how many people have been diagnosed for c. dificil in the same time frame..... or gastroenteritis or many other things. There's not a whole lot of perspective there. Also, you don't ever hear the CDC telling folks getting sick from McDonald's salads how the germ got onto the salad ( toileting in the fields?). I have lost all confidence in the CDC in the last 20 years.

 

[Chelsa'sChicks]

according to CDC in 2017 there were 1,120 cases of salmonella in 48 states with one reported death. So far in 2018 from February 15 to June 21 there have been 212 reported cases in 44 states, no deaths. Report says Backyard chickens are spreading salmonella.

I know there are folks that give or sell unwashed eggs but isn't that a good way to spread salmonella? it appears that with the growth of having backyard chickens, so are the cases of salmonella.

It is actually illegal to sell unwashed/unsanitary eggs in most states. Check your local laws to see the rules on selling backyard eggs. You can sell them, but they need to be clean where I live and you have to state when the first egg was produced and where the hens live (so your address). Each state may have varying rules, but they should be cleaned. I use White Distilled Vinegar and warm water.. Its still natural and cheap.

Regarding diseases... You can also get a flesh eating bacteria from washing a dirty fish tank with your hands. Should we flush all domestic fish because we could possibly get a bacteria that will eat our skin and we end up with amputated limbs?? No. Bottom line is use common sense and be clean. Don't wait until the fish water is that dirty, do not submerge a hand with a cut on it, wear gloves, wash your eggs, wash your hands, don't touch your face/mouth etc. People will always get sick and there will always be germs you cannot take away everything, just be smarter then the germ

 

[tripletfeb]

I read that article too and just want to add that the cases of salmonella going up just makes sense. It's simple math. The more people that have contact with chickens, the more salmonella cases there will be. It doesn't mean we are bad, dirty people. It means we care about where our eggs and meat come from but still have to wash our hands properly. Especially children. So, wash your hands after collecting those eggs!

 

[cbookout]

I read that article too and just want to add that the cases of salmonella going up just makes sense. It's simple math. The more people that have contact with chickens, the more salmonella cases there will be. It doesn't mean we are bad, dirty people. It means we care about where our eggs and meat come from but still have to wash our hands properly. Especially children. So, wash your hands after collecting those eggs!

This is so true. I completely agree with this statement. I don't think sharks in general have recently decided to acquire a taste for human flesh. The more people that come in to contact with sharks, the more people will get bitten.
And yes, there is inherent risk in pretty much everything these days, including what we eat. I don't think the CDC is trying to villianize eggs or the backyard poultry farmer. This is not just a matter of washing your hands. If your chicken is infected with salmonella and they shed the virus during egg production, then the virus ends up INSIDE the egg. If you eat the egg fried with a runny yolk or use it for Hollandaise - both things I love to do, then you are putting yourself and your family at risk if you are not 110% sure every one of your chickens is salmonella free. This is the case for ALL eggs. From your backyard chickens AND the commercially laid eggs! I've had chickens for 5 years. I keep a very large, clean, well ventilated coop and my chickens have 2 acres of pristine St. Augustine, manicured grass to live on every single day. I keep separate shoes just outside the gate and always, always wash my hands up to my elbows after collecting eggs, cleaning nesting boxes, removing feces from the poop board, handling chickens, etc. It did not matter. It can be INSIDE the egg. So, my NEW, personal solution is to vaccinate and why not? It's cheap and effective. And the more of us that do it can start to raise a ruckus about the fact that they don't sell smaller doses for the hobby farmers like myself and everyone else on this thread. If we can eliminate the threat of making ourselves and our family ill, then why not do it. I will always have chickens, I love my chickens. I've eaten my eggs since my son's diagnosis. I just made sure this time, not to rinse them first and to cook them all the way through.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

I mean, cooking them through is the only real way to 100% prevent infection.

But heck if I am going to give up my over easy eggs! With a lil tiny bit of salt and pepper on buttered toast... Or a soft boiled egg in a spicy korean or tonkatsu ramen.... Mmmm....

Nope, not happening. Yum! I am a healthy adult - I will take the risk. My 5 yr old nephew, maybe not so much.

 

[trudyg]

I am a healthy adult - I will take the risk.

Yep, I'll take the risk. When I give eggs to my friends and family, I always tell them--they have not been washed and may have something undesirable on the shell. Prepare them carefully. Most of the people I give them to love getting them (I don't sell them).