Lewis County Among Those With New Cases of Salmonella

June 03--Washington is among 46 other states suffering an outbreak of salmonella from live poultry with 16 cases across the state.

One of the cases was reported in Lewis County. The number of cases across the nation is currently at 372.

Five people have been hospitalized in the state, but no deaths have been reported.

It is considered an outbreak when a higher number of cases are diagnosed in an area than expected, said Hanna Oltean, an epidemiologist with the Washington State Department of Health. Those cases must be from the same strain of salmonella, which number in the hundreds. The health department receives numerous reports of salmonella each year from different strains.

"Each spring we see clusters in live poultry salmonella," Oltean said.

The increase is due to people purchasing live poultry to replenish their backyard flocks after the winter, Oltean said.

People who handled live poultry, such as chickens or ducks, should wash their hands thoroughly, she said. The salmonella bacteria is transmitted through contact. A person can become infected after touching their mouth or eating without washing their hands after interacting with live poultry.

Most cases are seen in children younger than 5 and seniors older than 62 because of their weaker immune systems, Oltean said. Children should be supervised while handling live poultry to ensure they do not become infected. People should also refrain from kissing and snuggling the birds.

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