Two Salmonella outbreaks linked to separate “backyard farming”

A Salmonella outbreak linked to random chickens and ducklings raised in “backyard farms” across the U.S. has sickened at least 92 people.

Twenty states have reported victims of Salmonella poisoning that can be linked to chickens or ducks raised in backyards across the country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention equate the outbreak to the rising trend of simpler, more organic farming.

There are actually two separate outbreaks with specific strains of Salmonella to each, according to a USA Today report. In one ongoing outbreak, 65 people have become infected with Salmonella altona bacteria. In the other, 27 more people have been infected with Salmonella johannesburg bacteria.

Officials at the CDC told USA Today that the trend for “backyard farming” is admirable as people attempt to get “closer to their food” but homeowners who attempt to raise their own birds namely for egg production aren’t aware of the fact that many chickens are carrying several forms of food-borne bacteria.

Cases included in this outbreak date back to February, according to the report. The “twin outbreaks” have caught the attention of the CDC because nearly one-third of all injuries suffered at sports events were among children less than 5 years old.

Chickens and other poultry identified as the source of this outbreak came from a single distributor, Mount Healthy Hatcheries. That company maintains that its water treatment reservoir is safe.