Time To Stop Hugging Your Chickens

ATLANTA (CBS4) - It's time to stop hugging, kissing, and snuggling your chickens.

In a report published in June, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention links a multi-state outbreak of salmonella to prolonged human contact with live chickens that live in backyards.

From January to May of 2017, doctors have treated nearly 400 cases of salmonella infections, from all but three states.

The CDC says the infections came after live handling of poultry, like chicks and ducklings. In a study of 228 infected people, 190 said they had recent contact with poultry before their symptoms.

The organization is advising people to wash their hands after any contact with chickens or ducks. Anyone with a weakened immune system should not handle the birds at all.