TL;DR
The CDC has declared over a 2026 Salmonella outbreak associated with backyard poultry, after 1,253 reported infections across 46 states and Puerto Rico. The agency reported 256 hospitalizations and two deaths; eight hatcheries were identified by investigators, but their names have not been released.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has declared over a Salmonella outbreak linked to backyard poultry that sickened 1,253 people in 46 states and Puerto Rico. The outbreak included two reported deaths and 256 hospitalizations, according to the CDC figures carried by Food Safety News, and affected people who had contact with chicks and ducklings raised in backyard flocks.
The outbreak involved seven Salmonella strains: Altona, Enteritidis, Indiana, Infantis, Kedougou, Mbandaka and Saintpaul. About one-third of the reported patients were hospitalized. One in five was younger than 5; ages ranged from under 1 to 99, with a median age of 36. The CDC’s declaration means the outbreak investigation has been closed as an active event; it does not mean Salmonella has been eliminated from poultry or that every infection was counted.
Most patients or their caregivers said the chicks or ducklings had been purchased at agricultural retail stores. Others obtained birds from acquaintances, hatcheries or local farms. Investigators identified eight hatcheries that sold infected birds, but the CDC has not named them, according to the source report.
Investigators in Idaho, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Oregon and Tennessee sampled backyard poultry or the interiors of boxes used to ship live birds to retail stores. Whole genome sequencing found that Salmonella Enteritidis, Mbandaka, Kedougou and Saintpaul from those samples matched strains found in sick people. The CDC also found antibiotic resistance among some human isolates, including resistance to fosfomycin, nalidixic acid and tetracycline; another 185 isolates were predicted to be nonsusceptible to ciprofloxacin.
Risks for Backyard Flock Owners
The case count makes this the second-largest backyard poultry Salmonella outbreak recorded by the CDC, according to the historical totals in the source report. It is a reminder that live poultry can carry Salmonella even when birds appear healthy, and that contact with chicks, ducklings or their equipment can expose people to the bacteria.
The reported antibiotic resistance adds a public health concern. Resistance can limit treatment options in some infections, though the source material does not say that every resistant strain caused severe illness or that every patient required antibiotics. The CDC’s outbreak total also captures only detected infections, so it should not be read as a complete count of everyone who became ill.
Families with young children should take particular care because children under 5 accounted for one-fifth of reported patients. That figure describes the people counted in this outbreak; it does not establish how or where each individual was exposed.
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How the Outbreak Expanded
The CDC first reported the outbreak on April 13, 2026, when 34 patients in 13 states had been identified. At that point, 13 people had been hospitalized, and investigators reported that illnesses had begun as early as Feb. 26. The final count reached 1,253, spanning 46 states and Puerto Rico.
The source report says this was the second-highest annual total in the CDC’s recorded series. The largest was in 2020, when 1,722 illnesses were reported. Across the eight years listed from 2019 through 2026, the combined reported count was 8,575 illnesses, 1,803 hospitalizations and 12 deaths. Those figures are reported outbreak counts and do not account for infections that went undetected.
CDC estimates that for every confirmed Salmonella outbreak patient, 29 additional infections may go undetected. Some people do not seek medical care, and others are not tested specifically for Salmonella. That estimate is a general multiplier cited in the source report, not a measured count of additional patients in this particular outbreak.
“Eight hatcheries were identified as having sold infected birds, but the agency has not named those hatcheries.”
— Food Safety News report
Uncounted Cases and Unnamed Hatcheries
The CDC has declared the outbreak over, but the source report does not identify the eight hatcheries linked to infected birds. It also does not provide a final date for the last illness or details about any specific corrective actions taken by hatcheries or retailers.
The confirmed total is not a count of every infection. CDC’s general estimate suggests many Salmonella cases go undetected, but the number of additional illnesses in this outbreak is unknown. The source material also does not specify how many patients were infected with each strain or how many had antibiotic-resistant infections that required treatment.
Routine Prevention After Closure
The outbreak investigation is closed, and the source report does not describe a new public health alert or a further investigation milestone. People who keep backyard poultry should continue standard precautions: wash hands with soap and water after handling birds, eggs, feed or equipment; keep poultry and their supplies out of homes; and supervise young children around flocks. The CDC’s outbreak closure does not change the possibility of Salmonella exposure from live poultry.
Anyone who develops severe symptoms or is concerned about illness should contact a health professional. Further public information about the implicated hatcheries, if released, would clarify where investigators traced infected birds through the supply chain; the source report says those names remain undisclosed.
Key Questions
Has the CDC declared the backyard poultry Salmonella outbreak over?
Yes. The CDC declared the 2026 outbreak over after reporting 1,253 infections across 46 states and Puerto Rico.
How many people were hospitalized or died?
The reported total was 256 hospitalizations and two deaths. About one-third of the reported patients were hospitalized.
Which hatcheries were linked to the outbreak?
Investigators identified eight hatcheries that sold infected birds, but their names have not been released in the source report.
Does the final count include every person who became ill?
No. Some people do not seek medical care, and others are not tested for Salmonella. The CDC estimates that 29 infections may go undetected for every confirmed patient in an outbreak, but the number missed in this specific outbreak is unknown.
Source: rss
