A person in St. Clair County has been infected with Salmonella as multistate outbreaks linked to baby chicks and ducklings continue to spread.
The St. Clair County Health Department confirmed the case on Friday. Officials didn’t provide identifying information about the patient, including their age or sex.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services previously said 21 other people in Michigan have been infected in the outbreaks. State health officials have not said which counties the other cases were identified in.
Officials said there are three “large and growing multistate outbreaks” of Salmonella infection. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 184 people in 31 states had been infected. MDHHS said the number of people actually sickened in the outbreaks is likely much higher due to underreporting.
Symptoms of Salmonella infection may include diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and stomach cramps lasting four to seven days or longer. Young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are at greater risk for severe illness.
More than a quarter of the cases are linked to children under age 5. In Michigan, about 29% of reported infections are in children, the state health department said.
The largest of the three outbreaks is linked specifically to human contact with ducklings. Other cases have been traced back to contact with baby chicks.
Salmonella bacteria are commonly found in poultry droppings and may also be on a bird’s feathers, feet and beaks, or in their cages, coops and the rest of their environment, officials advised.
People who own poultry or who may have contact with live poultry are encouraged to take steps, including:
mreinhart@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Salmonella case in St. Clair County latest in outbreak linked to ducklings
Reporting by Max Reinhart, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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