Many in Michigan Getting Sick from Something in their Backyards

Something is going down in the backyard of Michigan residents.

It is a new outbreak of something that we have experienced and seen before.

There is a salmonella outbreak and you will never guess what is causing it.

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What's To Blame For The Salmonella Outbreak

Well, chickens...

I know weird, right?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shared that the salmonella outbreak is "linked to contact with backyard poultry."

"Backyard poultry, like chickens and ducks, can carry Salmonella germs even if they look healthy and clean. These germs can easily spread to anything in the areas where the poultry live and roam. You can get sick from touching your backyard poultry or anything in their environment and then touching your mouth or food and swallowing Salmonella germs."

As of this article's publication, there are 690 reported illnesses, with 280 of them being categorized as new outbreaks within 47 states and Puerto Rico.

What To Do To Stop The Spread

There are a few ways to stop the spread of salmonella while still having backyard chickens.

• Wash Your Hands
• Be Safe Around The Animals
• Supervise Kids Around The Chickens
• Handle The Eggs Safely

Salmonella is typically mild with few if any symptoms. However, according to the Mayo Clinic, those are who have vulnerabilities can have

"life-threatening complications also may develop if the infection spreads beyond the intestines."

Please be careful. If you want to see updates as they apply to Michigan, you can check out the CDC's portal.