Commentary: That Cute Little Chick Can Make You Sick

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Each year around Easter, thousands of chicks and ducklings are welcomed into backyard family farms of all sizes. Baby birds may have Salmonella germs on their bodies, even when they are healthy and look clean. 

The germs also get on cages and other things the birds touch.

When you handle chicks and ducklings, the germs can get on your hands and be spread to other people. If you have Salmonella bacteria on your hands and then touch your mouth, you can get sick. Salmonella can cause serious illness, especially in infants and young children. Older adults and people with weakened immune systems may also have severe symptoms.

Symptoms of Salmonella infection start about one to three days after you are exposed. Symptoms range from mild to severe and include diarrhea, fever and stomach pain. Symptoms usually last four to seven days and go away on their own. However, in some people the symptoms may be so severe that medical treatment is needed. Call your health care provider if you or your child has a high fever, severe diarrhea, or other symptoms that concern you.

Twelve people with Salmonella infections were reported to Lewis County Public Health & Social Services (LCPHSS) in 2017. None have been reported to date in 2018, which is a great start to the year. To keep from getting sick, follow these basic health and safety practices:

• Always wash your hands with soap and warm water immediately after touching chicks and ducklings.

• Chicks and ducklings are not appropriate pets for children under 5 years old.

• Make sure children wash their hands after touching chicks and ducklings at places such as petting zoos or feed stores.

• Don’t nuzzle or kiss chicks and ducklings.

• Keep chicks and ducklings in a designated area away from the kitchen and family living spaces.

• Never handle baby birds while you or your children are eating.

• Don’t use the kitchen sink to clean cages, feed or water containers.

Another concern with growing your own food poultry is Campyolobacter, another infectious disease caused by bacteria. Seven people with Campyolobacter infections have been reported to LCPHSS in just the first two months of 2018. This is more than were reported to LCPHSS in the first two months of 2016 and 2017. Reports of people with Campyolobacter infections ranged from one to three in the first two months of the previous two years.

Most people become ill two to five days after exposure. They are usually sick for one week. Common symptoms are fever, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, cramping, and abdominal pain. Campylobacter can spread to the bloodstream and cause a serious life-threatening infection for people with compromised immune systems.

Most people who get sick have eaten raw or undercooked poultry meat. A very small number of bacteria (fewer than 500) can cause illness in humans. Even one drop of juice from raw chicken meat can infect a person. When you handle contaminated meat and then prepare other food, the bacteria can spread to the uncontaminated food.



One way to become infected is to cut chicken or turkey on a cutting board, and then use the unwashed cutting board or knives to prepare vegetables or other raw or lightly cooked foods. The Campylobacter organisms from the raw meat can spread to the other foods. Infants may get the infection by contact with poultry packages in shopping carts.

Some simple food handling practices can help prevent Campylobacter infections.

• Wash hands with soap before preparing food

• Wash hands with soap after handling raw foods of animal origin and before touching anything else.

• Prevent cross-contamination in the kitchen by using separate cutting boards for foods of animal origin and other foods and by carefully cleaning all cutting boards, countertops, and utensils with soap and hot water after preparing raw food of animal origin.

• Cook all poultry products thoroughly. Make sure that the meat is cooked throughout (no longer pink) and any juices run clear. All poultry should be cooked to reach a minimum internal temperature of 165 °F.

• If you are served undercooked poultry in a restaurant, send it back for further cooking.

For more information on safe handling of baby chicks, eggs, and poultry meat, go to:

• www.doh.wa.gov/YouandYourFamily/IllnessandDisease/AnimalTransmittedDiseases/Salmonella fromChicksandDucklings.aspx

• www.cdc.gov/Features/SalmonellaPoultry/

• www.doh.wa.gov/YouandYourFamily/IllnessandDisease/Campylobacter

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Dr. Rachel Wood has worked in clinical medicine as a Family Physician and in Public Health at the local, state and national levels for more than 30 years. Since arriving in Washington State in 1995 she worked as the physician for students at The Evergreen State College for 12 years before becoming the Public Health Officer for Lewis County Public Health and Social Services in July, 2007. She became the Health Officer for Thurston County as well as Lewis County in 2013. Dr. Wood believes in preventing illness and disease, reducing the number who get sick and improving overall community health.