PREVENTING HUMAN SALMONELLA INFECTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH EXPOSURE TO LIVE POULTRY FROM AGRICULTURAL FEED STORES AND MAIL-ORDER HATCHERIES

摘要

Since 1990, 28 outbreaks of human salmonellosis linked to contact with live poultry (chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese) from mail-order hatcheries have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Salmonella causes acute gastroenteritis in humans with symptoms including diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and/or abdominal cramps; sometimes illness can be severe and require hospitalization. Young children, the elderly and people with weak immune systems are especially at risk for serious illness. Live poultry are commonly distributed through agricultural feed stores and mailorder hatcheries, and more than 50 million chicks are sold annually in the United States.