Officials say salmonella cases on the rise

Public health officials say 17 reported salmonella cases reported so far this year in Wisconsin is slightly ahead of the same time frame last year, but below the four year average.

Officials say the increase in cases this year is heavily linked to backyard poultry.

Salmonella is a bacteria often spread by eating food with the bacteria in it, most commonly found in raw chicken and eggs.

Often times a person can still get sick even after fully cooking the poultry if hands or preparation surfaces weren’t properly cleaned after being touched by the raw product, and then touched again by the cooked poultry.

State health officials are stressing to those who keep or purchase poultry to:

Always wash your hands after touching poultry, eggs, or anything in the areas the animals live.
Avoid unnecessary contact of live poultry.

Wash surfaces thoroughly after working with raw poultry, and don’t eat or drink around the birds.