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Multistate Outbreak of Human Salmonella Montevideo Infections Linked to Live Poultry

Posted July 31, 2012 4:15 PM ET

At a Glance:

Case Count: 76
States: 22
Deaths: 1
Hospitalizations: 17

More Information:

Latest Case Count Map

Persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Montevideo, by state

Click map to view updated & previous case count maps.

Latest Epi Curve

Persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Montevideo, by date of illness onset

Click graph to view updated & previous epi curve graphs.

Highlights

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A total of 76 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Montevideo have been reported from 22 states.
- The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Alaska (1), California (2), Colorado (1), Florida (1), Georgia (1), Illinois (2), Indiana (9), Iowa (2), Kansas (10), Kentucky (1), Massachusetts (2), Missouri (24), Nebraska (8), Nevada (1), New York (1), North Carolina (1), Ohio (1), Oklahoma (4), South Dakota (1), Texas (1), Vermont (1), and Wyoming (1).
- Seventeen ill persons have been hospitalized. One death was reported in Missouri, but Salmonella infection was not considered a contributing factor in this person’s death.
- Thirty-seven percent of ill persons are children 10 years of age or younger.
Epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback findings have linked this outbreak of human Salmonella infections to contact with chicks, ducklings, and other live baby poultry from Estes Hatchery in Springfield, Missouri.
Mail-order hatcheries, agricultural feed stores, and others that sell or display chicks, ducklings, and other live poultry should provide health-related information [PDF - 1 page] to owners and potential purchasers of these birds prior to the point of purchase. This should include information about the risk of acquiring a Salmonella infection from contact with live poultry.

July 31, 2012

Case Count Update

A total of 76 persons infected with outbreak strain of Salmonella Montevideo have been reported from 22 states. The 10 new cases are from seven states: Florida (1), Illinois (1), Indiana (1), Massachusetts (1), Missouri (2), Nebraska (3), and Texas (1).

Among the persons who reported the date they became ill, illnesses began between February 28, 2012 and July 15, 2012. Infected individuals range in age from less than 1 year to 83 years, and 37% of ill persons are 10 years of age or younger. Forty-nine percent of ill persons are female. Among 54 ill persons with available information, 17 (31%) have been hospitalized. One death was reported in Missouri, but Salmonella infection was not considered a contributing factor in this person’s death.

During interviews, ill persons answered questions about contact with animals and foods consumed during the week before becoming ill. Forty-six (85%) of 54 ill persons interviewed reported contact with live poultry (e.g., chicks, chickens, ducks, ducklings, turkeys) before becoming ill. Forty (93%) of 43 ill persons with available purchase information reported buying live baby poultry from various locations of 16 different agricultural feed store companies in multiple states. Additionally, 5 (12%) reported purchasing baby poultry directly from mail-order hatcheries. Ill persons reported purchasing live poultry for backyard flocks to produce eggs or meat, or to keep as pets.

Findings of multiple traceback investigations of live baby poultry from homes of ill persons have identified Estes Hatchery in Springfield, Missouri as the source of chicks and ducklings. The owners of the mail-order hatchery are cooperating with public health and agriculture officials. Estes Hatchery is a participant in the USDA-National Poultry Improvement Plan, which is a program to eliminate Salmonella Pullorum (Salmonella enterica serotype Pullorum) and Salmonella typhoid (Salmonella enterica serotype Gallinarum) from breeder flocks but does not certify freedom from other strains of Salmonella in birds.

Illnesses that occurred after July 3, 2012 might not yet be reported due to the time it takes between when a person becomes ill and when the illness is reported.

Initial Announcement

June 25, 2012

CDC is collaborating with public health and agriculture officials in many states and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, National Poultry Improvement Plan, and Veterinary Services to investigate an outbreak of human Salmonella Montevideo infections linked to chicks and ducklings from Estes Hatchery in Springfield, Missouri. Public health investigators are using the PulseNet system to identify cases of illness that may be part of this outbreak. In PulseNet, the national subtyping network of public health and food regulatory agency laboratories coordinated by CDC, DNA "fingerprints" of Salmonella bacteria are obtained through diagnostic testing with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, or PFGE, to identify cases of illness that may be part of this outbreak.

This outbreak can be visually described with a chart showing the number of persons who became ill each day. This chart is called an epidemic curve or epi curve. Illnesses that occurred after May 29, 2012 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. Please see the Salmonella Outbreak Investigations: Timeline for Reporting Cases for more details.

Contact with live poultry can be a source of human Salmonella infections. You should always wash hands thoroughly with soap and water right after touching live poultry or anything in the area where they live and roam. Adults should supervise hand washing for young children. Additional recommendations are available.

Mail-order hatcheries, agricultural feed stores, and others who sell or display chicks, ducklings and other live poultry should provide health-related information [PDF - 1 page] to owners and potential purchasers of these birds prior to the point of purchase. This should include information about the risk of acquiring a Salmonella infection from contact with live poultry.

Investigation of the Outbreak

As of June 21, 2012, a total of 66 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Montevideo have been reported from 20 states. The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Alaska (1), California (2), Colorado (1), Georgia (1), Illinois (1), Indiana (8), Iowa (2), Kansas (10), Kentucky (1), Massachusetts (1), Missouri (22), Nebraska (5), Nevada (1), New York (1), North Carolina (1), Ohio (1), Oklahoma (4), South Dakota (1), Vermont (1), and Wyoming (1).

Among the persons who reported the date they became ill, illnesses began between February 28, 2012 and June 6, 2012. Infected individuals range in age from less than one year old to 83 years old, and 35% of ill persons are 10 years of age or younger. Forty-six percent of ill persons are female. Among 43 ill persons with available information, 16 (37%) have been hospitalized. One death was reported in Missouri, but Salmonella infection was not considered a contributing factor in this person’s death... (show more »)

In interviews, ill persons answered questions about contact with animals and foods consumed during the week before becoming ill. Thirty-nine (85%) of 46 ill persons interviewed reported contact with live poultry (e.g., chicks, chickens, ducks, ducklings, turkeys) before becoming ill. Of ill persons with live poultry contact, 38 (97%) reported contact with chicks or ducklings or both. Thirty (83%) of 36 ill persons with available purchase information reported purchasing live baby poultry from various locations of 13 different agricultural feed store companies in multiple states. Additionally, 5 (14%) reported purchasing baby poultry directly from mail-order hatcheries. Because the potential for Salmonella infection exists wherever these live baby poultry are sold, and not just at one feed store, CDC’s recommendations apply wherever these poultry are sold. Ill persons reported purchasing live poultry for backyard flocks to produce eggs or meat, or to keep as pets.

State health departments have tested chick samples collected from ill persons' homes. Four samples from different homes in California, Kentucky, Missouri, and Vermont yielded the outbreak strain of Salmonella Montevideo.

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