Public health officials in several states are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella illnesses linked to contact with backyard poultry. The outbreak has sickened 34 people in 13 states, and investigators say it may not be limited to the states where cases have already been found.
The illnesses underscore a basic warning from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: any backyard poultry can carry Salmonella germs that can make people sick. The true number of infections is likely much higher than the reported count because many people recover without medical care and are never tested for Salmonella, a leading cause of foodborne illness in the United States.
The case count gives only a partial picture of the outbreak, which public health officials were examining in April 2026. Backyard flocks are often kept for eggs, meat or simply as pets, but close contact with birds or their living areas can spread infection to people who handle them without careful handwashing or other precautions.
That gap between reported cases and the likely total is what makes this outbreak harder to measure and harder to stop. Officials have 34 confirmed illnesses to track, but the CDC says many more people may have been sickened and recovered on their own, leaving no test result and no entry in the count.
The outbreak is likely to widen the moment more illnesses are identified, because the warning now reaches beyond the 13 states already tied to known cases. For people keeping backyard poultry, the message is straightforward: Salmonella can come from healthy-looking birds, and the risk is not confined to one farm, one flock or one state.