Allegheny County resident linked to multistate Salmonella illness outbreak

ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. — An Allegheny County resident has been linked to a multistate outbreak of Salmonella illnesses.

The Allegheny County Health Department said everyone with the outbreak reported contact with backyard poultry.

According to the CDC, the illnesses began spreading on Feb. 9. Some of the people infected reported getting poultry from agricultural retail stores.

A strain of Salmonella sickness was found in samples inside a box used to ship poultry in Ohio.

People who interact with backyard poultry are asked to contact their healthcare provider if they experience any of the following symptoms:

Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102°F
Diarrhea for more than 3 days that is not improving
Bloody diarrhea
So much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down
Signs of dehydration, such as not peeing much, dry mouth and throat, and feeling dizzy when standing up

The health department asked anyone who deals with backyard poultry to do the following:

Wash your hands after touching poultry, their eggs, or the area where the poultry live. Use hand sanitizer if you are unable to wash your hands right away. It is especially important to ensure that young children wash their hands as they are more likely to get sick from germs like Salmonella.
Avoid eating or drinking around backyard poultry and their living area.
Clean supplies used to maintain backyard poultry often and store them outside of your home.
Collect eggs often, clean them, and refrigerate them.
Cook egg-based dishes to an internal temperature of 160°F.

Public health officials are working to learn more about other potential exposures.

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