Overview
- Federal investigators report 34 illnesses across 13 states with 13 hospitalizations and no deaths linked to contact with home-raised birds.
- Lab testing predicts resistance to fosfomycin in all patient samples, with some also resistant to chloramphenicol, streptomycin, sulfisoxazole, or tetracycline.
- Investigators say 79% of interviewed patients had contact with backyard birds, prompting trace-back to retailers and hatcheries after most owners reported new birds since January.
- Young children are heavily affected, with about 40% of cases in those under 5 and patients ranging in age from 1 to 78.
- Health officials urge strict hygiene when handling birds or eggs, keeping supplies outdoors, and avoiding kissing or snuggling poultry.