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Amid Salmonella outbreak, Austinites with backyard chicken coops should heed this warning

Officials are warning of a multi-state Salmonella outbreak linked to contact with live poultry in backyard coops. That means people in Austin with chicken coops should heed warnings issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

AUSTIN — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are warning of a multi-state Salmonella outbreak linked to contact with live poultry in backyard coops.

There are currently more than 200 reported cases across 44 states. Five cases are here in Texas. Here is a map of the case count showing outbreak strains of Salmonella.

The illnesses began flaring up in mid-February. Since then, 34 people infected with the virus have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported. In interviews conducted through the CDC, 72 percent of patients reported that they had contact with chicks or ducklings the week before they got sick.

In October 2017, the CDC reported a record high number of illnesses linked to backyard flocks, in which 1,120 people were infected. Fifty-eight were reported in Texas. One patient died.

According to the CDC, there have been 70 Salmonella outbreaks linked to backyard poultry since 2000. In total, those outbreaks have resulted in 4,794 illnesses, 894 hospitalizations, and seven deaths.

Doctors urge that prevention is key, and it's easy to do. They are reminding people to always wash their hands after interacting with a chicken, duck or live poultry of any kind.

If you are an Austin resident and have a backyard coop, that's not a bad thing. In fact, the city will even provide you a $75 rebate if you attend a free class on how to properly and safely keep a backyard flock. You can click here to learn more about the class.

RELATED:

The City of Austin will pay you to keep a chicken coop in your backyard

The city code has rules and guidelines in place if you do own backyard livestock. Here are some things they regulate:

  • How many animals may be kept on a single property
  • Where enclosures are located
  • Animals are not allowed to roam freely outside of their owner's property
  • Livestock cannot make excessive noise, and must be kept clean and healthy within their shelter
  • The slaughtering or meat processing of livestock is prohibited in residential areas

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