A multi-state salmonella outbreak linked to backyard poultry is raising alarms among federal health officials, with some infections showing resistance to common antibiotics.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed at least 34 people across 13 states have been sickened by the same strain of salmonella, all traced to contact with backyard birds. Thirteen of those patients required hospitalization. No deaths have been reported so far.

Illnesses were reported between Wednesday (February 26) and Tuesday (March 31). The patients range in age from less than one year old to 78 years old, with a median age of just 12. More than 40% of those infected are children younger than five.=

Michigan has reported the most confirmed cases at six, followed by Ohio and Wisconsin with five each. Indiana, Kentucky, and Maine have recorded three cases apiece. Maryland and West Virginia each have two confirmed cases, while Florida, Illinois, Mississippi, New Hampshire, and Tennessee have each reported one.

What makes this outbreak especially worrying is the bacteria's resistance to drugs. Samples from all 34 patients showed the salmonella strain may be resistant to fosfomycin, an antibiotic often used when other drugs have already failed. Samples from eight of those patients also showed possible resistance to four other common antibiotics: chloramphenicol, streptomycin, sulfisoxazole, and tetracycline.

Most salmonella infections clear up within four to seven days without medication. But for high-risk groups, including young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems, antibiotics can be critical to preventing serious illness or death. Infections resistant to multiple drugs narrow the options doctors have to treat severe cases.

Backyard poultry,including chickens, ducks, geese, guinea fowl, and turkeys, can carry salmonella without appearing sick. Of the 29 patients interviewed by health officials, 23 said they had contact with backyard birds in the week before getting ill. Fourteen people said they own backyard poultry, and all but one obtained their birds since January.

The CDC says investigators are still working to identify a common source for the animals. People reportedly got their birds from various places, including agricultural retail stores.

You don't have to handle a bird directly to get infected. Touching anything in a bird's environment, including feed, cages, or eggs, and then touching your mouth or food without washing your hands can expose you to salmonella germs.

The CDC is urging backyard poultry owners to take simple but important precautions. Wash your hands thoroughly with warm soap and water after handling birds, their eggs, or any equipment. Wear a dedicated pair of shoes when caring for your flock, and leave those shoes outside. Keep birds and their supplies out of the home.

Children younger than five should not handle backyard poultry or related materials, as they face a higher risk of serious illness. The CDC also advises against kissing or snuggling birds close to your face.

Every year, salmonella causes roughly 1.35 million illnesses and 420 deaths in the United States. This is not the first time backyard poultry has been connected to an outbreak. In 2025, a similar outbreak sickened more than 500 people across 48 states, hospitalizing 125 and killing two.

The CDC says the true number of cases in the current outbreak is likely higher than reported, since many sick people never seek medical attention. Officials say the investigation is ongoing.

Mark Simone