Public health officials in several states are investigating a multistate salmonella outbreak linked to contact with backyard poultry, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in April 2026 that 34 people had been reported sick. The outbreak may not be confined to the states where illnesses have already been identified.
The map released by health officials shows where the 34 people in this outbreak lived, a reminder that the illness has already crossed state lines. That matters now because the true number of sick people is likely higher than the count in hand: many people recover without medical care and never get tested, which means the outbreak could be broader than the report shows.
Backyard poultry can carry salmonella germs that make people sick, whether the birds are chickens, ducks or other fowl kept at home. Salmonella bacteria are also a leading cause of foodborne illness in the United States, which is why health officials have been warning people to wash their hands after touching birds or anything in their environment. Similar food safety alerts, including the Chocolate Recall Widens After Salmonella Concerns in Markham and Ottawa and the Cantaloupe Recall: Ayco Farms Pulls 8,302 Cartons Over Salmonella Risk, have shown how quickly the bacteria can move through different parts of daily life.
The unanswered issue is not whether backyard poultry can spread salmonella — officials say it can — but how large this outbreak will turn out to be once more people are counted. For now, the case total is 34, the geographic footprint is still expanding, and health investigators are treating the current map as a starting point rather than the end of the story.