CDC Investigating Drug-Resistant Salmonella Outbreak Tied to Backyard Poultry Across 13 States
This one has a complication most Salmonella outbreaks don't. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed last week that 34 people across 13 states have been sickened in a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul linked to contact with backyard poultry, with 13 hospitalized and no deaths reported. The strain is drug-resistant — and that changes the calculus for anyone who gets seriously ill.
What Makes This Outbreak Different
Standard Salmonella is treatable. This strain is not responding to standard options. The bacteria has demonstrated resistance to fosfomycin — an antibiotic typically used when first-line treatments fail — and in several cases also showed resistance to chloramphenicol, streptomycin, sulfisoxazole, and tetracycline.
For most healthy adults, that may not matter much. Salmonella often resolves on its own. But for young children, older adults, and immunocompromised individuals, the loss of treatment options narrows the margin significantly.
Children Are Disproportionately Affected
Forty-one percent of case-patients in this outbreak are under the age of 5. That's not a coincidence — it reflects exactly how the transmission works. Young children handle chicks, don't always wash their hands immediately, and are far more likely to touch their mouths. The CDC has been direct: children younger than 5 should not handle birds, including chicks and ducklings, or spend time in areas where those animals live and roam.
The Timeline and Genetic Evidence
Illnesses began as early as February 26, 2026, and ran through March 31, 2026. Of the 29 people investigators interviewed, 23 — or 79% — reported contact with backyard poultry in the days before falling ill.
The link to recently purchased birds is sharp. Of 14 patients who confirmed owning backyard poultry, 13 had acquired their birds since January 1, 2026, pointing to recently purchased flocks from agricultural retail stores as a likely source. Investigators collected samples from backyard poultry in Ohio, and whole genome sequencing confirmed the strain matched exactly what was found in human cases.
Where Cases Are Concentrated
Michigan leads with six cases, followed by Wisconsin and Ohio with five each. Indiana, Kentucky, and Maine each have three confirmed cases. The CDC has cautioned that the true case count is likely higher — many people recover without seeking medical care, and results from recent illnesses typically take three to four weeks to be confirmed as part of an outbreak.
What Poultry Owners Need to Do Now
The CDC's guidance is pointed and practical. Backyard poultry can carry Salmonella germs even if they look healthy and clean. The bacteria spreads when people touch birds, their eggs, or anything in their environment, then touch their mouth or food without washing their hands.
Flock owners should keep poultry and all related supplies — feed containers, shoes worn in the coop — outside the home entirely, and clean those items outdoors. Eggs need to be collected frequently; cracked eggs should be discarded immediately, as bacteria on the shell can enter more easily through a crack.
The CDC and state partners are actively working with hatcheries and retail stores that sell poultry to educate new owners and work to control Salmonella spread at the source. No specific hatchery or retail chain has been publicly named as the confirmed origin.
