Published Date: 2011-05-30 23:41:07
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Salmonellosis, serotype Altona - USA: chicks, ducklings exposure
Archive Number: 20110530.1656

SALMONELLOSIS, SEROTYPE ALTONA - USA: CHICKS, DUCKLINGS EXPOSURE
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A ProMED-mail post
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org

Date: Fri 27 May 2011
Source: CDC, _Salmonella_ homepage [edited]
http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/altona-baby-chicks/052711/index.html


CDC is collaborating with public health and agriculture officials in
many states and the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National
Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) to investigate a multistate outbreak
of human _Salmonella [enterica_ serotype Altona infections. As of 25
May 25 2011, a total of 25 individuals infected with the outbreak
strain of _S._ Altona have been reported from 11 states. The number of
ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Indiana (1),
Kentucky (3), Maryland (2), Minnesota (1), North Carolina (4), New
York (1), Ohio (7), Pennsylvania (2), Tennessee (2), Virginia (1), and
Vermont (1).

Among the persons with reported dates available, illnesses began
between 25 Feb 2011 and 25 Apr 2011. Infected individuals range in age
from less than 1 year old to 84 years old and the median age is 8
years. 52 percent of patients are male. Among the 21 patients with
available information, 8 (38 percent) were hospitalized. No deaths
have been reported.

Investigation of the outbreak
-----------------------------
CDC, in collaboration with many state and local health departments,
state departments of agriculture, and USDA-NPIP, is investigating an
outbreak of human _S._ Altona infections linked with contact with
chicks and ducklings. Investigators are using the PulseNet system to
identify cases of illness that may be part of this outbreak. In
PulseNet, the national network of public health and food regulatory
agency laboratories coordinated by CDC, DNA is analyzed from bacteria
obtained through diagnostic testing of ill people.

In interviews, ill persons answered questions about contact with
animals and foods consumed during the week before becoming ill. 16 (76
percent) of 21 ill persons interviewed reported contact with live
poultry (chicks, chickens, ducks, ducklings, geese, and turkeys) prior
to becoming ill. Of ill persons who could recall the type of live
poultry with which they had contact, all 16 identified chicks,
ducklings, or both, and 14 (88 percent) reported purchasing chicks and
ducklings from multiple locations of a nationwide agriculture feed
store, Feed Store Chain A. Ill persons report purchasing live poultry
for either backyard flocks to produce eggs or as pets.

In May 2011, laboratory testing yielded _S._ Altona bacteria from 3
samples from a chick and its environment collected from an ill
person's household in Ohio, and 3 environmental samples collected from
chick and duckling displays at 2 locations of Feed Store Chain A in
North Carolina.

Findings of multiple traceback investigations of live chicks and
ducklings from homes of ill persons have identified a single
mail-order hatchery as the source of these chicks and ducklings.

Advice to consumers
-------------------
- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water right after touching
live poultry or anything in the area where they live and roam. Adults
should supervise hand washing for young children.
- If soap and water are not readily available, use hand sanitizer
until you are able to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
- Clean any equipment or materials associated with raising or caring
for live poultry outside the house, such as cages or feed or water
containers.
- Do not let children younger than 5 years of age, elderly persons,
or people with weak immune systems handle or touch chicks, ducklings,
or other live poultry.
- Do not let live poultry inside the house, in bathrooms, or
especially in areas where food or drink is prepared, served, or
stored, such as kitchens, or outdoor patios.
- Do not snuggle or kiss the birds, touch your mouth, or eat or drink
around live poultry.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[Complete with a "smoking" chick, that is, the isolation of the
outbreak organism from the proposed vehicle of transmission, this
outbreak is a parallel of many of the "petting zoo" clusters of _E.
coli_ O157. - Mod.LL]

See Also

Salmonellosis, serotype Typhimurium - USA (02): laboratory acquired
20110429.1331
Salmonellosis - USA (03): (RI) pastry, fatal 20110409.1116
Salmonellosis, serotype Typhimurium - USA: frogs 20110409.1115
Salmonellosis - USA: (RI), pastries 20110329.0979
Salmonellosis, serotype Panama - USA: ex Guatemala, cantaloupes
20110325.0948
Salmonellosis - Australia: (SA) custard pastry 20110208.0428
Salmonellosis, serotype I 4,5,12,i-, sprouts - USA 20110109.0103
2010
----
Salmonellosis - USA: (IA, NE, OK) RFI 20101003.3580
Salmonellosis, serotype Enteritidis - USA (07): eggs 20100910.3276
Salmonellosis, serotype Enteritidis - USA: eggs, alert, recall
20100817.2846
Salmonellosis, ST Hartford, Baildon - USA: fast food chain
20100806.2661
Salmonellosis, restaurant - USA: (CO), undercooked eggs
20100805.2653
Salmonellosis, reptile feed - UK, USA (02) 20100806.2662
Salmonellosis, reptile feed - UK, USA: st Typhimurium DT 191A
20100730.2555
Salmonellosis, reptile feed - USA: recall 20100729.2545
Salmonellosis - Canada: (ON, BC) headcheese, alert 20100726.2499
Salmonellosis, unpasteurized milk - USA (02): (UT) serotype Newport
20100709.2287
Salmonellosis, unpasteurized milk - USA: (UT) 20100517.1616
Salmonellosis, serotype Hvittingfoss - USA: (IL) restaurant chain
20100609.1932
Salmonellosis, serotype Newport - USA (02): sprouts, alert, recall
20100604.1855
Salmonellosis, serotype Newport - USA: sprouts, alert, recall
20100522.1701
Salmonellosis, salami - USA (07): black & red pepper 20100313.0804
Salmonellosis, salami - USA: alert, recall 20100124.0270
2005
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Salmonellosis, Easter chicks - USA (multistate)(02) 20050615.1677
Salmonellosis, pet rodents, 2003-2004 - USA (multistate)
20050506.1258
Salmonellosis, Easter chicks - USA (multistate) 20050506.1248
2004
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Salmonellosis, chick exposure - USA (WA, OR) 20040622.1663
2000
----
Salmonellosis ex baby chicks - UK (England) & USA 20000420.0574
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