Handling baby chicks is one of the leading causes of salmonella poisoning, which is why experts recommend that children under 5 years old should not handle live chicks. Even so, many people are unaware of the risk. Dozens of salmonella outbreaks have been linked to baby chicks. If you were injured in a chick salmonella outbreak, contact The Schmidt Firm, LLP today.

What You Can Do & How a Chick Salmonella Lawsuit Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting baby chick salmonella injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by salmonella poisoning after handling chicks, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Salmonella Litigation Group or call us toll-free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

UPDATE

August 1, 2012 – The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has traced a recent outbreak of salmonella poisoning to a chick hatchery in southwest Missouri. The outbreak has sickened 76 people in 22 states, and 17 people have required hospitalization. Many of the people who required hospitalization were children.

Chick Salmonella

Most chicks sold in the United States come from hatcheries, which are facilities that specialize in incubating large volumes of eggs and having many different breeds of poultry. Some hatcheries produce baby chicks, ducklings, goslings, game birds, and more.

The problem is that hatcheries can easily be contaminated with salmonella. When a hen who is infected with salmonella lays an egg, the bacteria is planted inside the egg. The egg is an ideal place for the salmonella bacteria to proliferate, because it is warm and dark. Usually, contaminated eggs do not survive to hatching, and if they are disposed of properly, the salmonella bacteria does not spread any farther.

Widespread contamination occurs when infected eggs are broken, and the sticky liquid spreads to other eggs, animals, humans, equipment, or the air. In fact, once a facility is contaminated with salmonella, it can be nearly impossible to eradicate the bacteria.

Who is at risk?

Although baby chicks are one of the most common recurrent sources of salmonella infection, many people are unaware of the risk. Baby chicks are often purchased specifically for the enjoyment of children, especially around Easter. However, experts recommend that children under 5 years old should not handle live chicks because it is difficult to ensure adequate hand-washing. Parents should ensure that children who are over 5 years old wash their hands thoroughly after handling chicks.

Other people at high risk of life-threatening infections include older people, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems. However, anyone who has salmonella poisoning could die from the infection.

Chick Salmonella Outbreaks

Since 1990, there have been at least 35 chick salmonella outbreaks, mostly tied to mail-order hatcheries that produce and distribute chicks throughout the U.S. One commonality among these outbreaks is that young children predominate the number of illnesses.

May 31, 2012 –316 people from 43 states have been infected with Salmonella Montevideo. The illnesses have occurred over an 8-year period and have been linked to one hatchery. Eradication efforts have continued for the last 5 years, and although the number of illnesses has fallen, the outbreak is ongoing. This suggests that once a facility is contaminated with salmonella, it may be difficult or impossible to eradicate it.

May 25, 2012 — 93 people from 23 states have been infected with strains of salmonella linked to live chicks. The illnesses reportedly began between March 2012 and May 2012, coinciding with Easter. Of the people who were seriously sickened, 37% were under 10 years old, and half required hospitalization. One death possibly linked to this chick salmonella outbreak is currently under investigation. The investigation is suggesting that one mail-order hatchery in Ohio is the likely culprit.

February – October 2011 — 68 cases of poisoning caused by Salmonella Altona and 28 cases caused by Salmonella Johannesburg. The cases occurred in 24 states. In both cases, large numbers of the victims were under 5 years old.

Symptoms of Salmonella Poisoning

Salmonella poisoning causes severe gastrointestinal illness. Most healthy adults recover from the acute symptoms within a week, but normal bowel function may not return for up to three months. High-risk populations may suffer a life-threatening infection, permanent disability, or death.

Symptoms typically begin within 8-72 hours after ingestion of the bacteria. Headache, stomach ache, and nausea are quickly followed by diarrhea. Once diarrhea begins, the person typically has sudden and repeated episodes of watery, sometimes bloody stools. Severe vomiting and abdominal cramps may also occur.

Symptoms of salmonella poisoning include:

• Repeated diarrhea, which may be bloody or watery
• Severe abdominal cramps
• High fever
• Dehydration
• Nausea, vomiting
• Irritation and inflammation of the digestive tract
• Headache

Do I have a Chick Salmonella Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting baby chick salmonella induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by salmonella after handling a baby chick, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Salmonella Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Attention Lawyers: We consider a referral from another law firm to be one of the greatest compliments. If your firm is interested in referring us a case or for us to send you a list of previous award judgments and/or average referral fees, please visit the Lawyer Referral section of our website.