Some Sickened in Montana From Something in Their Backyards

When Montana went through the Covid-19 pandemic, there were a lot of Montanans that started to be more self-sufficient. They planted gardens, they baked their own bread and they started to raise chickens.

Backyard Poultry in Montana Can Get You Sick If You Aren't Careful

Backyard poultry can get you sick if you aren't careful. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has investigated cases of Salmonella outbreaks across the United States and we had cases reported here in Montana. There weren't as many cases in Montana as there were across other western states, like Washington for example, that had the highest reported cases in the west.

Some of the CDC Guidelines to Avoid Salmonella

The CDC has some guidelines on how to avoid a Salmonella outbreak:

• Always wash your hands with soap and water immediately after touching poultry their eggs, or anything in the area where they roam.
• Don't kiss or snuggle backyard poultry and don't eat and drink around them.
• Make sure kids follow the same procedures. Make sure they always wash their hands after touching backyard poultry, and not to snuggle or kiss the poultry.
• Collect the eggs often. Don't let the eggs sit in the nest. They can get dirty and break.
• Throw away cracked eggs.
• Don't wash eggs with cold water, that can pull the germs into the eggs.

If you get any symptoms of catching Salmonella, such as a fever of over 102 degrees, stomach cramps or diarrhea, contact your physician. For a full list of procedures to help keep you and your family safe you can visit the CDC website.