05/26/2026
Salmonella Outbreaks Linked to Backyard Poultry | Salmonella Infection | CDC
As of May 14, there have been 184 cases in 31 states with 53 hospitalizations and one death. Kentucky is one of the states with the highest cases – 22 to date.
Aside from emphasizing the proper handling of poultry (not kissing them, hands away from face, washing hands after handling poultry and their equipment) please also stress proper handling of home produced eggs.
• Handle eggs safely
o Collect eggs often. Eggs that sit in the nest can become dirty or break.
o Throw away cracked eggs. Germs on the shell can more easily enter the egg through a cracked shell.
o Eggs with dirt and debris can be cleaned carefully with fine sandpaper, a brush, or a cloth. Don't wash eggs because cold water can pull germs into the egg. – WHILE CDC IS STATING TO NO WASH EGGS, IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THAT EGGS BE WASHED, BUT WASHED PROPERLY WITH RUNNING HOT WATER. COLD WATER SHOULD NEVER BE USED TO WASH EGGS AND EGGS SHOULD NEVER BE SUBMERGED FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME IN WATER. A QUICK DIP IN EGG SANTIZER IS OK.
o Refrigerate eggs to keep them fresh and slow the growth of germs.
o Cook eggs until both the yolk and white are firm. Use a food thermometer to cook egg dishes to an internal temperature of 160°F to kill all germs.
Many people cite the fact that Europe doesn’t wash eggs or store eggs in refrigerators in grocery stores but the situations are VERY different. Eggs are not allowed to be washed in Europe because the regulatory agencies don’t trust the companies to do it correctly and doing it incorrectly can make things work. USDA has the same research data as Europe showing that washing eggs properly saves lives, and they make sure that companies wash the correctly with inspectors in the egg processing facilities. Grocery store engineering standards require a lower room temperature than grocery stores in the USA. They do recommend purchased eggs be washed and stored in the refrigerator when arriving home with them. In addition, the European lifestyle is much different than the American lifestyle. Many American households only grocery shop once or twice a month while Europeans shop for smaller quantities 2-3 times a week.
Many also state that their grandparents never refrigerated eggs – but today’s egg and today’s salmonella strains are different. Salmonella enteritidis can infect hens and not make them sick so you don’t know they are hosting the bacteria in their reproductive tracts. For those infected hens, small amounts of SE bacteria can be shed in the egg. The dose is typically small, and not enough to make people sick, especially if the eggs are properly handled and cooked. But if allowed to sit on the counter at room temperature, the bacteria population grows to a level where they CAN make people sick, especially if they eat undercooked eggs.
