Outbreaks, Recalls, and Investigations in Wisconsin
Below is a list of selected outbreaks, recalls, and investigations with wide impact in Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is working with local, state, and federal partners to investigate multiple outbreaks of Salmonella infections linked to contact with backyard poultry.
- According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), as of May 29, 104 people in 35 states have become infected with one of the outbreak strains of Salmonella. Twenty-five people have become hospitalized and there has been one death linked to these outbreaks.
- Wisconsin has three cases linked to one of the outbreak strains of Salmonella.
Outbreaks of Salmonella linked to backyard poultry occur every year in the U.S., including in Wisconsin residents. Many of these infections are preventable.
- Poultry, including healthy and clean backyard poultry, can have Salmonella germs in their poop and on their bodies (feathers, feet, and beaks). The germs can easily spread to their cages, coops, eggs and equipment use to care for them. People can get sick from Salmonella if they touch the birds or anything in their environment and then touch their mouth or food before washing their hands.
- Children younger than 5 years are more likely to get sick with Salmonella because their immune systems are still developing. They also are more likely to put their fingers or other items with germs in their mouths.
If you own or have contact with poultry, take these steps to reduce the risk of becoming ill with salmonellosis:
- Always wash your hands after touching backyard poultry, their eggs, or anything within the areas in which they live or roam. Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
- Don't kiss or snuggle backyard poultry, and don't eat or drink around them.
- Keep poultry, even when they are babies, outside your house.
- Supervise kids around flocks and don't let children younger than 5 years old touch chicks, ducklings, or other backyard poultry.
- Handle eggs safely.
- Call your health care provider right away if you have any of these severe symptoms:
- Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102°F
- Diarrhea for more than three days that is not improving
- Bloody stools
- Prolonged vomiting that prevents you from keeping liquids down
- Signs of dehydration, such as:
- Making very little urine
- Dry mouth and throat
- Dizziness when standing up
For more information about how to reduce your risk of getting sick:
- See our Backyard Poultry flyer, P-01788 (PDF), for more information about how to prevent these infections.
- View CDC's videos
- Information about backyard poultry can also be found on the DHS backyard poultry webpage.
See the CDC webpage for more information on this investigation, and to stay up to date on other food-borne outbreaks and recalls.
To view previous outbreaks and investigations, visit our Past Outbreaks in Wisconsin page.