Don't dress up your pet chickens, roosters for Halloween, CDC warns

WTVD logo
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
What is salmonella?
The bacteria kills hundreds of people in the U.S. every year. About 1 million cases of illness are caused by salmonella in food.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning people not to dress their pet chickens in costumes or take them trick-or-treating this Halloween because of a certain strain of salmonella.

At least 92 people in 29 states have become infected with a strain of multidrug-resistant salmonella after coming into contact with raw chicken products, ABC News reports.

The CDC said people could be infected if they handled live chickens, including dressing them up in sweaters or for the spooky holiday.

"Don't kiss your birds or snuggle them and then touch your face or mouth," the agency warned.

No deaths have been reported; however, 21 of the infected have been hospitalized.

Copyright © 2024 WTVD-TV. All Rights Reserved.