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The CDC has declared over this year’s Salmonella outbreak linked to backyard poultry, which infected 1,253 people across 46 states and Puerto Rico, hospitalizing a third and killing two. It was the second-largest such outbreak on record after 2020.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has declared an end to this year’s multistate Salmonella outbreak traced to backyard poultry flocks, closing an investigation that recorded 1,253 infections across 46 states and Puerto Rico, including two deaths. A third of the patients were hospitalized, and one in five were children younger than 5, according to the CDC’s final outbreak report.
The outbreak involved multiple strains — Salmonella Altona, Enteritidis, Indiana, Infantis, Kedougou, Mbandaka, and Saintpaul. Patient ages ranged from less than 1 year to 99 years, with a median age of 36. Most patients or their caregivers told investigators the chicks and ducklings in their flocks came from agricultural retail stores, while others bought birds from acquaintances, directly from hatcheries, or from local farms.
Investigators in Idaho, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Oregon, and Tennessee collected samples from backyard poultry and from the inside of shipping boxes used to transport live birds from hatcheries to stores. Whole genome sequencing confirmed that Salmonella Enteritidis, Mbandaka, Kedougou, and Saintpaul strains in those samples matched the strains found in sick people. The CDC reported that eight hatcheries sold infected birds but has not named them.
Laboratory testing of all 1,253 human isolates found widespread antibiotic resistance. The CDC reported 670 isolates resistant to fosfomycin, 184 to nalidixic acid, 152 to tetracycline, 53 to streptomycin, 40 to gentamicin, and 24 to sulfisoxazole, with smaller numbers resistant to ampicillin, ceftriaxone, ceftiofur, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, and cefoxitin. Another 185 isolates were predicted nonsusceptible to ciprofloxacin, according to the CDC.
Why Backyard Flock Owners Should Still Care
Although the investigation is closed, the CDC has long cautioned that backyard poultry carries a recurring Salmonella risk regardless of whether birds look clean and healthy. The closing of one outbreak does not prevent the next: these outbreaks have become an almost annual event, and 2026 was the second-largest on CDC record, behind only 2020, when pandemic stay-at-home lifestyle changes drove a surge in backyard flocks.
The scale of antibiotic resistance documented in this outbreak also matters for treatment. Infections caused by resistant strains can be harder to treat, and the large share of isolates resistant to multiple drug classes underlines why suspected Salmonella infections — especially in young children, older adults, and immunocompromised people — warrant medical attention and laboratory testing.
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Eight Years of Annual Outbreaks
The CDC first reported the 2026 outbreak on April 13, when 34 patients across 13 states were counted, 13 of them hospitalized. Illnesses began on February 26, according to that first report, and the case count grew to 1,253 before the outbreak was declared over.
Backyard-poultry Salmonella outbreaks have recurred every year since at least 2019. CDC figures show 1,134 illnesses in 2019, 1,722 in 2020 — the largest on record — 1,135 in 2021, 1,230 in 2022, 1,072 in 2023, 470 in 2024, and 559 in 2025. Across eight years, the tally is 8,575 illnesses, 1,803 hospitalizations, and 12 deaths.
The official count understates the true toll. The CDC estimates that for every confirmed Salmonella patient, roughly 29 cases go undetected, because some people do not seek medical care and others are not specifically tested for the bacteria.
“For every confirmed patient in a Salmonella outbreak there are 29 who go undetected.”
— CDC
Hatcheries Unnamed as Case Count Likely Low
The CDC has not identified the eight hatcheries it linked to infected birds, so consumers who bought poultry this year cannot check whether their supplier was involved. It also remains unclear whether any regulatory or enforcement action will follow against the hatcheries or retailers.
The true number of infections is unknown. Based on the CDC’s own estimation method, the real toll could be tens of thousands of illnesses, though the agency did not publish a specific expanded estimate for this outbreak.
Precautions for the Next Flock Season
No further CDC updates are expected on this outbreak. Heading into the next spring purchasing season, the agency’s standing advice applies: wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds after touching birds or coop equipment; do not snuggle or kiss poultry; keep birds and supplies outside the house and away from areas where food is prepared; and supervise children around flocks, since young children accounted for one in five patients this year. Older adults, children under 5, and people with weakened immune systems face the highest risk of severe illness.
Key Questions
Is the Salmonella outbreak from backyard chickens over?
Yes. The CDC has declared the 2026 outbreak over, meaning no new illnesses have been reported for a period long enough to close the investigation. However, backyard poultry can still carry Salmonella at any time.
How many people got sick and died in the 2026 outbreak?
The CDC confirmed 1,253 illnesses across 46 states and Puerto Rico, with 256 hospitalizations and two deaths. One in five patients were children under 5.
Which hatcheries sold the infected birds?
The CDC identified eight hatcheries that sold infected birds but has not publicly named them.
How can I avoid Salmonella from backyard poultry?
Wash hands thoroughly after handling birds or coop supplies, keep birds and equipment out of the house and kitchen, avoid touching your face after contact with poultry, and closely supervise children around flocks.
Were the Salmonella strains drug-resistant?
Yes. According to the CDC, 670 of 1,253 sequenced isolates were resistant to fosfomycin, with smaller numbers resistant to other antibiotics, and 185 were predicted nonsusceptible to ciprofloxacin.
Source: rss
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