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The CDC has declared a multistate Salmonella outbreak linked to backyard poultry flocks over. The outbreak sickened 1,253 reported people, led to 256 hospitalizations and two deaths, and involved seven Salmonella strains; eight hatcheries were identified but not named.
The CDC has declared a multistate Salmonella outbreak linked to backyard poultry over, after 1,253 people were reported infected across 46 states and Puerto Rico. Of those patients, 256 were hospitalized and two died; one in five was younger than 5, making safe handling of chicks and ducklings a continuing concern for flock owners and families.
The outbreak involved seven Salmonella strains: Altona, Enteritidis, Indiana, Infantis, Kedougou, Mbandaka and Saintpaul. Patients ranged in age from younger than 1 to 99, with a median age of 36. The CDC’s reported totals are confirmed cases, not an estimate of everyone who may have become ill.
Patients or their caregivers most often said the flock’s chicks or ducklings came from agricultural retail stores. Others obtained birds from acquaintances, hatcheries or local farms. Investigators identified eight hatcheries that sold infected birds, but the CDC did not name them in 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 retailers. Whole genome sequencing found that Salmonella Enteritidis, Mbandaka, Kedougou and Saintpaul in those samples matched strains found in patients. The CDC also reported that some human isolates showed antibiotic resistance or predicted reduced susceptibility.
Risks for Backyard Flock Owners
The end of the outbreak investigation does not mean backyard poultry are free of Salmonella. The findings connect illnesses to birds and shipping materials, while the reported sources of chicks and ducklings include stores, hatcheries and farms. People who keep poultry should continue to use careful hygiene, particularly when young children are present.
The number of reported infections also understates the likely scale of illness. The CDC estimates that for each confirmed Salmonella patient in an outbreak, 29 cases go undetected, because some people do not seek medical care or are not tested specifically for Salmonella. That estimate is a general multiplier supplied by the CDC, not a separately reported count of cases in this outbreak.
Antibiotic resistance is another concern in the investigation. The source report lists resistant human isolates for several medicines and says 185 were predicted to be nonsusceptible to ciprofloxacin. These findings do not mean every patient required antibiotics or that treatment failed; they describe laboratory results from outbreak isolates.
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Outbreak Timeline and Scale
The CDC first reported the outbreak on April 13, 2026, when 34 patients in 13 states had been identified and 13 had been hospitalized. The initial report said illnesses had begun on Feb. 26. The final reported total rose to 1,253 patients in 46 states and Puerto Rico, with 256 hospitalizations and two deaths.
Food Safety News described the 2026 outbreak as the second largest recorded by the CDC for backyard poultry-associated Salmonella outbreaks. The supplied historical figures list 1,722 patients in 2020, the highest total in the comparison, and 1,253 in 2026. Across the eight years listed, the table records 8,575 illnesses, 1,803 hospitalizations and 12 deaths.
The source report says the 2020 outbreak coincided with a period when many people were staying home and keeping backyard flocks for entertainment. That background helps explain the comparison but does not establish why the 2026 outbreak reached its reported size.
“For every confirmed patient in a Salmonella outbreak there are 29 who go undetected.”
— Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Unanswered Questions About Sources
The source report does not identify the eight hatcheries, explain why their names were withheld, or say whether any sales restrictions or other actions were taken. It also does not provide a breakdown of cases by state, the dates of the final illnesses, or details about the two deaths.
Although investigators matched four Salmonella strains from bird or shipping-box samples to human illness strains, the report does not specify which hatcheries or retailers were connected to each sample. The case total is confirmed, but the actual number of infections is unknown and likely higher, according to the CDC’s general estimate for undetected cases.
The antibiotic-resistance findings also do not establish how many patients received antibiotics, which treatments they were prescribed, or the clinical outcome associated with resistant isolates. The outbreak’s declaration as over marks the end of this investigation, not proof that all backyard poultry or birds from any particular seller are free of Salmonella.
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Hygiene Remains Important
The supplied report does not announce a further investigation milestone or new public-health action. With the outbreak declared over, readers should look to future CDC or state health department notices for any additional details about the hatcheries, testing or related illnesses.
People who keep chicks or ducklings should continue to wash their hands with soap and water after touching birds, their feed or equipment, and keep poultry and supplies away from food-preparation areas. Children younger than 5 should not handle chicks or ducklings or touch areas where they live. Owners should follow public-health guidance even when birds appear healthy, since Salmonella can be carried by poultry without obvious signs of illness.
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Key Questions
How many people were sick in the outbreak?
The CDC outbreak count was 1,253 reported infections in 46 states and Puerto Rico. The CDC says the actual number of illnesses is likely higher because not everyone seeks care or is tested.
How many people were hospitalized or died?
The report lists 256 hospitalizations and two deaths among the reported patients. It does not provide further details about the deaths.
Which hatcheries were linked to infected birds?
Investigators identified eight hatcheries that sold infected birds, but the report says the CDC did not name them. It does not give a list of the retailers or hatcheries associated with individual samples.
Does the outbreak being over mean backyard poultry are safe from Salmonella?
No. The declaration means this outbreak has been declared over; it does not mean poultry are free of Salmonella. Handle birds and their equipment carefully, wash hands after contact and keep children younger than 5 away from chicks and ducklings.
What did investigators find in poultry samples?
Samples from poultry or shipping boxes in six states contained four Salmonella strains that whole genome sequencing matched to strains found in patients: Enteritidis, Mbandaka, Kedougou and Saintpaul.
Source: rss
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