Protection from Salmonella in backyard poultry

Disinfecting products available to keep your family safe

Reported last month in the U.S. was a Salmonella outbreak stemming from backyard poultry, like ducklings, chickens, and others alike. As cases rise and additional information comes to light, we urge backyard poultry owners to take the recommended safety precautions when handling their animals.

Backyard poultry can carry many diseases and bacteria with them, especially from their free-range environments. Diseases may be contracted from other animal feces, bugs, and many other vectors. But how can you visibly identify bacteria or disease within your animal? The answer is: it’s not that easy. While present in birds, Salmonella does not reveal apparent symptoms. A recent article published by Lex18, a news broadcasting station established in Lexington, Kentucky, states, “According to the CDC, 17 people have been hospitalized due to the outbreak, but no deaths have been reported. It seems the outbreak is disproportionately affecting children. Officials say about a third of the ill people are kids under the age of 5.” The truth is, Salmonella is transmittable by handling birds and touching surfaces within the animals’ environment. That is why it is all the more critical to practice hand hygiene to limit cross-contamination.

How can you protect your family?

Protecting yourself and your family is possible with the maintaining of excellent hand hygiene. It is essential to avoid contact with the eyes, nose, ears, and mouth, as those are the main areas bacteria enter the body. Additionally, utilizing COMPANION Hand Sanitizer whenever soap and water are not readily available is an option for those who order supplies. COMPANION™ Hand Sanitizer is quick to use, kills 99.9% of bacteria, and is frequently used in animal care facilities around the world. It is critical to disinfect whenever coming in contact with backyard poultry — that includes changing clothes, shoes, and other accessories that may carry bacteria into your dwelling house. Therefore, do not bring your backyard poultry into your home — doing so will increase the likelihood of spread illness to yourself and your family.

What solutions are available?

It is crucial to disinfect the poultry environment regularly. Thoroughly wash down all surfaces weekly, or when they are visibly soiled. Always remember to clean the areas and remove any organic material before applying your disinfectant. Maintaining a regularly clean environment with the right disinfecting solutions helps to keep you and your family safe. Be sure to use an EPA labeled disinfectant, like Neogen®’s Synergize®, to eliminate bacteria on surfaces like coops, roosts, nesting boxes, and more. Synergize is effective in killing both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, viruses, and fungi, and has been used around the world to help fight the novel coronavirus.

In addition to Synergize, BioSentry®’s BioPhene™ Aerosol available for purchase as well. BioPhene Aerosol is an aerosolized disinfectant that is quick and effective and may be used on often touched equipment such as buckets, shoes, shovels, and rakes. BioPhene kills 99.9% of harmful bacteria while containing o-phenylphenol and ethanol. This product is used throughout the world in farm and animal transport vehicles, animal care facilities, and office quarters.

As a leader in animal safety since 1982, Neogen is proud to do its part in educating and supplying individuals with the necessary resources for caring for their backyard poultry. With helpful blogs, products, and sales representatives, we are happy to tackle any concerns you have and help you and your family remain safe while you care for your backyard family.

To learn more or place an order for supplies, visit Neogen.com today.