CDC Declared End of Backyard Poultry Salmonella Outbreak
The nationwide Salmonella outbreak, which infected 1,253 people across 46 states, has officially concluded.
Updated on Sept. 30, 2026 in Organic Food
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The CDC has declared the end of a major Salmonella outbreak linked to backyard poultry that resulted in 1,253 reported infections and two deaths. This incident, which marks the second-largest Salmonella outbreak ever recorded by the agency, spanned 46 states and Puerto Rico throughout 2026.
Why it matters
The outbreak highlights significant public health risks associated with backyard poultry, as one-third of infected patients required hospitalization and many victims were young children. Researchers traced the contamination to eight distinct hatcheries after matching human strains to samples collected from birds and shipping boxes.
The CDC recorded 1,253 total infections with a median patient age of 36, and 20% of cases involved children under 5 years old. Investigations identified eight source hatcheries and found antibiotic resistance in numerous human isolates, including 670 cases resistant to fosfomycin.
The players
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The national public health agency of the United States that leads efforts to track, investigate, and contain disease outbreaks.
The details
Investigators used whole genome sequencing to link human illnesses to Salmonella strains found in poultry and shipping containers. Patients or their caregivers reported acquiring the infected birds through various channels, including retail stores, local farms, and hatcheries.
Timeline
The earliest illnesses associated with the outbreak began on February 26, 2026.
The CDC first issued an official report regarding the outbreak on April 13, 2026.
The outbreak was officially declared over as of September 30, 2026.
Culture Shift
This outbreak is defined as the second-largest Salmonella event in CDC history, illustrating the growing public health challenges posed by the rise of backyard poultry farming. The incident marks a departure from historic foodborne illness patterns, which typically centered on industrial processing facilities rather than private household flocks.
Backyard poultry owners should prioritize handwashing after touching birds or their environment to reduce the risk of future Salmonella exposure. Parents of young children should be especially vigilant, as the young are disproportionately affected by these outbreaks.
The takeaway
Maintaining strict hygiene practices when managing backyard flocks is essential to preventing future transmission of foodborne illnesses. Owners should recognize that even healthy-looking birds can carry dangerous pathogens like Salmonella into the home environment.
Further reading
Learn more about food safety standards and contamination risks on the Organic Food page.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Food Safety News.
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