Warning: Salmonella Outbreak Affecting People in MT, UT, WA

There have been some recalls recently for candy that could be contaminated with Salmonella that can be purchased at Target and Walmart stores.

Read More: Urgent: 30 Candies Recalled From Montana Walmart and Target

There is a different Salmonella outbreak that you should be aware of that is happening in western states, including Montana. This outbreak is being attributed to something that people are keeping in their backyards.

Salmonella Outbreak in Montana

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are warning of a Salmonella outbreak being spread by backyard poultry. There have been confirmed cases of Salmonella in Montana, Washington and Utah. There haven't been that many cases in Montana, but the CDC is reporting that the actual cases may be much higher since "many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella."

Backyard Poultry Warnings

There are few people I know that started raising their own chickens when the pandemic started. They figured it was easier to raise their own chickens and harvest their own eggs. If you are planning on doing the same thing you should take some precautions to avoid getting sick.

CDC Tips To Help You Not Get Sick

Any backyard poultry can make you sick. The CDC recommends these precautions.

• Always wash your hands after touching poultry or eggs.
• Don't kiss or cuddle with poultry and don't eat around them.
• Keep the poultry and their food outside of your house.
• Supervise kids around the birds. Make sure they follow the same guidelines as adults.
• Collect eggs often. The longer they stay around the chickens the more they can become contaminated.

If you get a fever of 102 degrees, get diarrhea for more than 3 days, so much vomiting that you can't keep liquids down, you need to consult your healthcare provider. Please be safe around backyard poultry and eggs.