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Salmonella illnesses reported in NE Ohio
OUTBREAK TIED TO POULTRY FROM THE CINCINNATI AREA
YOUNGSTOWN
State health and agriculture officials are investigating a salmonella outbreak in Ohio associated with chicks and/or ducklings that caused eight illnesses including one in Columbiana County.
Ohio Departments of Health and Agriculture officials urged any buyer of baby chicks this year to use caution in their handling.
The state departments reported Thursday that the illnesses in Ohio are part of a multistate outbreak associated with chicks and/or ducklings sold this year at agricultural supply stores and that were raised at the Mount Healthy Hatchery in Hamilton County.
The eight affected range in age from 3 months to 76 years and live in Ashtabula, Columbiana, Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson, Licking, Medina and Wood counties.
Specimens obtained from chicks belonging to one of the Ohio cases yielded the outbreak strain of Salmonella Altona, said ODH Director Dr. Ted Wymyslo.
Columbiana had one case of salmonella, a 1-year-old girl, reported to it May 11, which was in the 30-day period during which the state is concerned about a salmonella outbreak, said Wes Vens, Columbiana County health commissioner.
Vens said the county resident who was ill during that period is not involved in food preparation and that the case does not constitute a serious public health threat.
“We continue to investigate this case but haven’t had any more cases reported since,” Vens said.
He said three other salmonella cases were reported in Columbiana County in January and February of this year, but that there were no commonalities among those affected.
“At this point, we’re not concerned about a local outbreak, but we are maintaining a heightened awareness of salmonella cases,” he said.
The Ohio Departments of Health and Agriculture are working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Poultry Improvement Plan and Ohio’s local health departments to respond to the outbreak.
“We encourage all agricultural supply stores that sell chickens and ducklings to post information on safe-handling techniques of these birds,” said Ohio Agriculture Director James Zehringer.
The CDC worked with the poultry industry and state agencies to offer a consumer information poster that can be downloaded from the CDC, ODH or from the Ohio Department of Agriculture, he said.
For more information, visit the this CDC website online at
http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/altona-baby-chicks/index.html.