Parents Reminded That Baby Chicks and Ducks Can Carry Salmonella
March
4, 2008—Denver—As spring approaches, state
epidemiologists are warning parents
and caregivers to keep children 5 years of age and younger
from handling
young birds, such as chicks and ducklings, as they pose a
health risk of
Salmonella. Salmonella is a common cause of food-borne
illness. However,
it also can be spread to people by direct contact with
animals that
carry the bacteria.
Salmonella outbreaks from chicks and ducklings often
occur during the
spring as the demand rises for baby birds as gifts and for
backyard use
to raise them for meat and eggs. Each spring for the past
three years,
the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s
Disease
Control and Environmental Epidemiology Division has
investigated
outbreaks of Salmonella cases that were associated with
exposure to baby
birds. Most cases were among children under 5 years of age.
However,
simple steps after handling these birds, such as frequent
hand washing,
can prevent illness, health officials said. Alicia
Cronquist, an epidemiologist from the Department of Public
Health and Environment who worked on last year’s
investigation,
warned, “Children are particularly at risk of illness
because they are
less likely to wash their hands and have more frequent
hand-to-mouth
contact than adults.”
Other individuals at high risk of severe illness include
the elderly
and people with weakened immune systems, she said.
Cronquist provided the following tips to prevent exposure to
Salmonella:
- Wash your hands and those of your children with soap and
water
immediately after touching any chicks, ducklings or other
animals. If
soap and water are not available, alcohol-based hand wipes
and gel
sanitizers may be used.
- Do not purchase chicks, ducklings or other baby birds as
pets
for children under age 5 or for people with weakened immune
systems.
- Supervise children when handling baby birds. Do not
allow
children to
- nuzzle or kiss chicks and ducklings;
- touch their mouths with their hands;
- eat and drink before washing their hands thoroughly.
- Keep chicks, ducklings and other baby birds in a
designated area
away from family living spaces.
- If you or your child has a high fever, severe diarrhea
or other
symptoms, contact a health care provider.
Symptoms
Cronquist said that Salmonella symptoms begin
about one to three days
after exposure and include diarrhea, fever and stomach pain.
Illness
usually lasts four to seven days and most people will
recover without
medical treatment. However, in some people the symptoms may
be so severe
that treatment or hospitalization is needed. For more
information about Salmonella and animals, the public can
visit
www.cdc.gov/healthypets/animals/birds.htm online or call
their local
health department.
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