Multistate outbreak of human Salmonella Typhimurium infections linked to live poultry from agricultural feed stores and mail-order hatcheries, United States 2013
Tara C. Anderson,
Thai-An Nguyen,
Jennifer K. Adams,
Nancy M. Garrett,
Cheryl A. Bopp,
Joe B. Baker,
Carrie McNeil,
Paul Torres,
Paul J. Ettestad,
Matthew M. Erdman,
Denise L. Brinson,
Thomas M. Gomez,
Casey Barton Behravesh
Affiliations
Tara C. Anderson
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
Thai-An Nguyen
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
Jennifer K. Adams
Association of Public Health Laboratories, Silver Spring, MD, USA
Nancy M. Garrett
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
Cheryl A. Bopp
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
Joe B. Baker
New Mexico Livestock Board, Albuquerque, NM, USA
Carrie McNeil
New Mexico Department of Health, Albuquerque, NM, USA
Paul Torres
New Mexico Department of Health, Albuquerque, NM, USA
Paul J. Ettestad
New Mexico Department of Health, Albuquerque, NM, USA
Matthew M. Erdman
National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Veterinary Services, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, USA
Denise L. Brinson
National Poultry Improvement Plan, Veterinary Services, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Conyers, GA, USA
Thomas M. Gomez
Veterinary Services, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Atlanta, GA, USA
Casey Barton Behravesh
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
Live poultry-associated salmonellosis is an emerging public health issue in the United States. Public and animal health officials collaborated to investigate one of the largest (356 cases, 39 states) of these outbreaks reported to date. A case was defined as illness in a person infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhimurium with illness onset between 1 March and 22 October 2013. The median patient age was seven years (range: <1–87 years); 58% of ill persons were children ≤10 years, 51% were female, 25% were hospitalized; 189 (76%) of 250 patients reported live poultry exposure in the week before illness; and 149 (95%) of 157 reported purchasing live poultry from agricultural feed stores. Traceback investigations identified 18 live poultry sources, including 16 mail-order hatcheries. Environmental sampling was conducted at two mail-order hatcheries. One (2.5%) of 40 duplicate samples collected at one hatchery yielded the outbreak strain. Live poultry are an important source of human salmonellosis, particularly among children, highlighting the need for educational campaigns and comprehensive interventions at the mail-order hatchery and agricultural feed store levels. Prevention and control efforts depend on a One Health approach, involving cooperation between public and animal health officials, industry, health professionals, and consumers.
