Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) — With the price of eggs on the rise, people may be tempted to buy a number of chickens to raise in their backyard.
But before you build a chicken coop and subscribe to a Chicken Whisperer, health experts warn of the dire health risks of raising chickens in your backyard. The reality is different than taking home a cute new cat, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Control (CDC).
Chicken may spread bacteria
You need to take extra precautions when handling chickens and their eggs.
Even when they look healthy and clean, backyard poultry can have salmonella in their feces and on their bodies, said Dr.
The bacteria may live on the beak, feathers, or feet of these poultry birds, as well as in their digestive tract, and can spread to any surrounding areas and to a person’s clothing, hands, or shoes. This may infect the people around her with the disease.
Over the past year, several salmonella outbreaks have been reported. Benedict noted that poultry in the backyard caused the infection of at least 1,200 people with salmonella.
At least 225 people have been hospitalized, and two backyard poultry-related deaths were recorded in 2022 alone.
“This has been happening for the past several years, and at least 1,000 cases are reported annually,” Benedict said. “We expect the number of cases to be greater than that, but they are not necessarily reported to public health,” she added.
Chicken may also transmit Campylobacter bacteria
The bacteria do not usually make birds sick, but they can cause diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps in humans.
Benedict pointed out that those with weakened immune systems, including people with diseases such as cancer, diabetes, kidney or liver problems, as well as young children, need additional care from raising chickens in the backyard, because they may suffer from a more serious disease in the event infected them.
Steps to keep people safe
If you decide to raise chickens in your home, the US Centers for Disease Control and Control warns parents not to allow their children under the age of 5 to touch the animals. With older children, parents should supervise their interactions. The chicks may be cute, but young children are especially susceptible to salmonella, as their immune systems are still developing.
Benedict stressed that “don’t kiss or hug backyard poultry, and don’t eat or drink in their vicinity.”
Backyard birds and their supplies should be kept in the backyard, and outside the house, to keep bacteria confined to where this type of bird lives.
People may also want to keep “coop shoes,” which are the ones you use exclusively when interacting with chickens. Be sure to take it off before entering the house, so that bacteria don’t get inside.
Always wash your hands after touching chicken, or keep hand sanitizer outside so you can disinfect your hands before entering the house.
Precautions for handling eggs
Regarding handling chicken eggs, people should collect them immediately and not allow them to stay in the nest, where they can get dirty or break.
Broken eggs should be thrown away, as the breakage allows bacteria to sneak inside easily.
When collecting eggs, if there is any dirt, you should use fine sandpaper, a brush, or a piece of cloth to wipe off the dirt. Do not wash eggs with water because cold water may attract germs to the eggs.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Control (CDC) recommends that people refrigerate their eggs to keep them fresh. Low temperatures also slow the growth of germs.
When cooking eggs, make sure that the yolk and white are firm to reduce your exposure to bacteria again.
“At the CDC, we want to protect people’s health, but we also understand that people have these close relationships with their chickens,” Benedict concluded. Benedict said: We commend this link between humans and animals. There is a safe way to do this.”