Residents In Rural NY At Risk For Potentially Deadly Outbreak

People in New York who live in rural areas may be at risk of an outbreak due to something in their backyard. The Centers for Disease Control recently released a report about outbreaks of the potentially deadly infection.

Photo by The Brewers on Unsplash

Salmonella Outbreaks In New York Linked to Backyard Poultry

The CDC issued an Investigation Notice about the outbreak. According to the CDC, the majority of people who got sick from backyard chicken coops got sick between March 2023 and July 2023. The outbreak was not limited to New York, but New York had the second highest number of sick people, only Michigan had more with 49 people. In New York, 37 people were sickened by the outbreak.

Of 459 people with information available, 141 (31%) have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. Of the 390 people with information about animal contact, 314 (81%) reported contact with backyard poultry before getting sick.

Centers for Disease Control

What Are The Symptoms Of Salmonella?

According to the Mayo Clinic, some people who become infected with salmonella may not experience any symptoms. However, most people will have symptoms including,

Diarrhea, fever and stomach (abdominal) cramps within 8 to 72 hours after exposure. Most healthy people recover within a few days to a week without specific treatment. In some cases, diarrhea can cause severe dehydration and requires prompt medical attention. Life-threatening complications also may develop if the infection spreads beyond the intestines.

Salmonella can be spread from animals to people and from people to people. If you have backyard chickens, it's imperative that you wash your hands after handling them or entering their habitat.

Where Are Backyard Chicken Coops Allowed In New York State?

Photo by Dani Millington on Unsplash

While people living in rural areas are more likely to have a chicken coop, some metro areas do allow chickens. When it comes to backyard chickens in the city, there is generally less space and more regulations. According to The Pet Zelot, these are some of the cities and towns that do allow chickens in backyards,

1. Islip, NY - Up to 15 chickens per 500 square feet of backyard space.
2. Buffalo, NY - Owners must obtain a $25 license, and all next-door neighbors must approve of the chickens.
3. Town of Babylon, NY - Must be enclosed in the backyard. Up to 30 chickens if the enclosure is 200 feet away from any residential properties.
4. Rochester, NY - Owners must obtain a $75 license and chickens cannot be raised for sale.
5. Huntington, NY - Up to 8 chickens, no roosters, and eggs cannot be sold.
6. Amherst, NY - Up to 6 chickens can be kept, no roosters, and must be 15 feet from any property line.
7. Smithtown, NY - No limit on the number of chickens, but they must be for personal consumption.
8. Albany, NY - Owners must obtain a $25 license and chickens must be kept at least 25 feet away from neighboring residential properties.