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CDC Probes Drug-Resistant Salmonella Outbreak Tied to Backyard Poultry

Health officials warn the strain’s antibiotic resistance could complicate care for severe cases.

Stock image: Chicks in a chicken production facility in Clermont Georgia, which uses experimental techniques to help eliminate samonella and lampylobacteria by providing the natural protective bacteria to the chickens that they lack when raised in crowded conditions.
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Overview

  • Federal investigators link 34 Salmonella Saintpaul infections in 13 states to contact with backyard chickens and ducks, with 13 people hospitalized and no deaths reported.
  • CDC lab testing predicts resistance to fosfomycin, a drug used when other antibiotics fail, and several patient samples show added resistance to older antibiotics.
  • Children are bearing the brunt of the outbreak, with a median patient age of 12 and more than 4 in 10 cases in kids under 5 who face a higher risk of severe illness.
  • Interviews and traceback suggest recent bird purchases are a common factor, and testing found the same outbreak strain in poultry sampled in Ohio.
  • The CDC says many cases likely go uncounted and urges handwashing after handling birds or their gear, keeping kids from snuggling poultry, and strengthening surveillance as recurring outbreaks have followed backyard flocks, including a large one in 2025.