Hundreds of salmonella cases tied to chicks

JasoninMN · #1 05/31/12, 01:27 AM

A pretty poor article but I wonder where this could lead. The hatchery is most likely Privet since they have a salmonella page on their site.

Quote:

Hundreds of salmonella cases tied to chicks
By Mike Stobbe Associated Press
Posted: 05/30/2012 05:22:06 PM PDT
Updated: 05/30/2012 08:37:29 PM PDT

ATLANTA -- Those cute mail-order chicks that wind up in children's Easter baskets and backyard farms have been linked to more than 300 cases of salmonella in the U.S. -- mostly in youngsters -- since 2004.

An estimated 50 million live poultry are sold through the mail each year in the United States in a business that has been booming because of the growing popularity of backyard chicken farming as a hobby among people who like the idea of raising their own food.

But health officials are warning of a bacterial threat on the birds' feet, feathers, beaks and eggs.

"Most people can tell you that chicken meat may have salmonella on it," said Casey Barton Behravesh of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "But surprisingly, we found many people are not aware that live chicks and chickens can spread salmonella to people."

Since 2004, at least 316 people in 43 states got sick in an outbreak tied primarily to one mail-order hatchery. Health officials believe thousands more illnesses connected to the business were probably never reported.

No one died, but three dozen people were hospitalized with bloody diarrhea or other symptoms. The illnesses were detailed Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Salmonella can cause diarrhea, fever and stomach pain but is rarely fatal. It is most dangerous to very young children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems. The infection is usually contracted
Advertisement
from food, but live animals can transmit it, too, because the bacteria can be in their feces.

Salmonella outbreaks have been linked to hatcheries for more than 50 years. And health officials have long warned that people can get salmonella from touching chickens -- especially children, who tend to put their fingers in their mouths. Indeed, the CDC says children under 5 shouldn't be allowed to touch chickens at all.

Health officials also advise people not to bring birds into their homes and to wash their hands thoroughly after handling live poultry.

About 20 hatcheries mail live chicks overnight in the U.S., supplying not only feed stores and farms but amateurs with backyard coops. The mail-order houses have been seeing record sales in recent years.

The CDC described an eight-year investigation into salmonella illnesses, with more than 80 percent of the cases tied to a single hatchery in the western U.S. While CDC officials refused to identify the business, a previous report on the investigation by the health agency indicated it is in New Mexico.

Investigators interviewed victims and concluded many had caught salmonella from touching chicks or ducklings, often at home. From there, most of the illnesses were traced to the hatchery.

Bearfootfarm · #2 05/31/12, 02:28 AM

Quote:

Those cute mail-order chicks that wind up in children's Easter baskets and backyard farms have been linked to more than 300 cases of salmonella in the U.S. -- mostly in youngsters -- since 2004.

An estimated 50 million live poultry are sold through the mail each year in the United States in a business that has been booming because of the growing popularity of backyard chicken farming as a hobby among people who like the idea of raising their own food.

300 cases out of 50 MILLION birds is statistically NONE

It must have been a SLOW news day

TenBusyBees · #3 05/31/12, 06:33 AM

Seems to me this would be a good oppurtunity for parents to teach children to wash their hands.

eross230 · #4 05/31/12, 07:16 AM

I agree with both replies! This is just another article to make people panic, give up home poultry production and buy those "oh so safe" big name brand processed chickens!

hugh · #5 05/31/12, 07:23 AM

Maybe this is were Col. Sanders came up with the company slogan "finger licking good"

MO_cows · #6 05/31/12, 07:29 AM

Not a very good article but at least it serves as a reminder. My SIL got chicks for the first time this year, and she wants to hold them, pet them, etc. I have reminded her umpteen times to wash her hands after she handles them, changes the water, feed and bedding. Newbies, take heed!

bignugly · #7 05/31/12, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bearfootfarm

300 cases out of 5 MILLION birds is statistically NONE

It must have been a SLOW news day

That is over a time span of 8 years!

LibertyWool · #8 05/31/12, 08:08 AM

I did see salmonella warnings in the feed store this year posted by the chicken supplies. It is probably just a good reminder for people.

Cliff · #9 05/31/12, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bearfootfarm

300 cases out of 5 MILLION birds is statistically NONE

It must have been a SLOW news day

No, it is 300 cases since 2004 - during which time 400 million birds have been shipped from hatcheries! 50 mil per year! What were the morons who wrote this article thinking? Probably just more fear mongering related to home food production...

Wonder how many salmonella cases have occurred during the same time period from industrial chicken and egg consumption?

Cliff · #10 05/31/12, 09:47 AM

However the statistics work out (vanishingly small I agree) it is still a good idea to ALWAYS wash your hands after handling birds. I have to remind my own kids of this every day. They forget, they don't think, whatever...

wolffeathers · #11 05/31/12, 10:35 AM

Wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands...

I had someone seriously ask me "Do you ever worry about salmonella with all your chickens?".... "Nope. I just wash my hands and make sure food is cooked and handled accordingly. It's a non-issue."

Cliff · #12 05/31/12, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wolffeathers

Wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands...

I had someone seriously ask me "Do you ever worry about salmonella with all your chickens?".... "Nope. I just wash my hands and make sure food is cooked and handled accordingly. It's a non-issue."

You should inform them that they are much more likely to get salmonella from their store chicken and eggs

I would give them an in-depth description of the scalding in the vat of chicken crap water that commercial chicken gets lol. People are so clueless about their food and just assume that store food is "cleaner" than farm food.

wolffeathers · #13 05/31/12, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cliff

You should inform them that they are much more likely to get salmonella from their store chicken and eggs

I would give them an in-depth description of the scalding in the vat of chicken crap water that commercial chicken gets lol. People are so clueless about their food and just assume that store food is "cleaner" than farm food.

I did.

People who go out to eat with me, know I don't do liquid eggs. You know the ones that are poured out of cartons? Was told first hand from a battery egg farmer, that the eggs that go into those can be eggs that were cracked at the farm... in the hen house... *yuck*

GrannyCarol · #14 05/31/12, 05:15 PM

The article said ~300 cases in 8 years and 5 million sold per year. So what? So, that averages out to about 35-40 cases a year out of 5 million sold. Gosh, that is so low that handling hatchery chicks must be one of the safest things out there!