CDC warns of drug-resistant salmonella infections linked to backyard poultry

Backyard poultry include birds like chicken, ducks, geese, guinea fowl and turkeys. The animals can carry germs, including salmonella, that make people sick.

Illnesses were reported from Feb. 26 to March 31 and include 13 people who were hospitalized, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sick people range in age from 1 to 78, but more than 40% are children younger than 5, the CDC said last week.

Sick people have been reported in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Ohio, Tennessee, Wisconsin and West Virginia. But more illnesses in more states could be possible, CDC officials added.

Of sick people interviewed, nearly 80% reported contact with backyard poultry. Of people interviewed who owned backyard poultry, more than 90% had obtained the animals since January. People got the poultry from various places, including agricultural retail stores. Health officials are investigating the sources of the animals.

Bacteria from samples from 34 people showed they might be resistant to at least one drug used to treat salmonella infections. Of those, some also showed they might be resistant to four other common antibiotics. Infections that are unable to be treated with antibiotics can result in serious illness or death.

The CDC has investigated multiple salmonella outbreaks involving backyard poultry in recent years. In 2025, an outbreak sickened more than 500 people in 48 states, with 125 people hospitalized and two deaths.

Young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are most likely to get sick from these germs. The best way to prevent illness is to wash hands after handling poultry, their food or items in their environment. People should avoid kissing or snuggling with backyard birds, the CDC says.