As of August 31, 2021, a total of 863 people infected with one of the outbreak strains have been reported from 47 states and the District of Columbia.
Illnesses started on dates ranging from December 15, 2020, to August 8, 2021.
Age information was available for 860 people. Their ages range from less than 1 to 97 years, with a median age of 36 years, and 220 (26%) are young children under 5 years. Of 842 people with sex information available, 493 (59%) are female. Of 617 people with information available, 203 (33%) have been hospitalized. Two deaths have been reported, one from Indiana and one from Virginia.
The true number of sick people in an outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses. This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella. In addition, recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak.
State and local public health officials are interviewing people about the animals they came into contact with the week before they got sick. Of the 527 people interviewed, 365 (69%) reported contact with backyard poultry before getting sick.