Washington, DC: The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is reporting a total of 316 persons infected with the outbreak strain ofSalmonella Typhimurium in 37 states. Since August 9, 2013, nine new ill persons have been reported from Arizona (1), Kansas (1), New Mexico (3), Oregon (2), Utah (1), and Wisconsin (1).
This outbreak of human Salmonella Typhimurium infections is not related to the current outbreak of human Salmonella Infantis, Lille, Newport, and Mbandaka infections linked to live poultry.
Among the persons who reported the date they became ill, illnesses began between March 4, 2013 and July 28, 2013. Ill persons range in age from less than one year to 87 years, with a median age of 6 years. Fifty-nine percent of ill persons are 10 years of age or younger. Fifty percent of ill persons are female. Among 199 ill persons with available information, 51 (26%) have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
Illnesses that occurred after July 22, 2013 might not yet be reported due to the time it takes between when a person becomes ill and when the illness is reported. This takes an average of 2 to 3 weeks.
In interviews, ill persons answered questions about contact with animals and foods consumed during the week before becoming ill. One hundred and fifty-eight (81%) of 196 ill persons interviewed reported contact with live poultry (e.g., chicks, chickens, ducks, ducklings, turkeys, and goslings) before becoming ill. Ninety-seven percent of ill persons reported purchasing live poultry from agricultural feed stores. A total of 113 locations of feed stores representing 33 feed store companies were identified. Ill persons also reported purchasing live poultry from a farmer' market, a flea market, or directly from mail order hatcheries. Ill persons reported purchasing live poultry for backyard flocks to produce eggs or meat, or to keep as pets.
State health departments have tested samples collected from chicks in ill persons' homes and retail locations. Samples collected by New Mexico, Vermont, and New York yielded the outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhimurium.
