Wild Songbirds Spreading Salmonella Infection

April 8, 2021 by Alexa Hornbeck
Wild Songbirds Spreading Salmonella Infection

The CDC has issued a report finding that small, yellow-tinged songbirds from the finch family were linked to 19 infections of salmonella across the U.S.  

Rachel Curtis-Robles, a public health educator and outreach officer for the California Department of Wildlife, advised residents of San Mateo County to “take down your bird feeders and wash hands after being outdoors,” in a written statement

The wild songbirds, known as Pine Siskins, have already led to eight hospitalizations, and 19 salmonella infections in eight states. 

Of the 19 cases reported, six cases occurred in Washington, five cases in Oregon, three in California, and one case reported in each state of Oklahoma, Kentucky, Mississippi, Vermont, and New Hampshire.  

“Salmonellosis is almost exclusively reported from locations with bird feeders where birds congregate,” said the California Department of Wildlife in a written statement.  

This is because sick birds usually flock to bird feeders and baths, gathering in close proximity, which allows the disease to spread quickly.  

The California Department of Wildlife wrote that while it’s uncommon for pets like cats and dogs to become sick with salmonellosis, they can still be carriers of the Salmonella bacteria and spread it to people.

When the CDC interviewed 13 infected individuals, they found that 69% owned a bird feeder, 15% reported contact with a sick or dead wild bird, and 10 people had pets with access to wild birds.   

The first salmonella case was reported on December 27, 2020, and the most recent case was reported on March 16. However, this may not be accurate to the actual timeline of infection, as it can take anywhere between six hours to six days after coming into contact with the bacteria to experience symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting.  

“You can get sick when you touch your mouth with unwashed hands after touching wild birds, bird feeders or bird baths, or your pets that have contact with wild birds,” the CDC wrote in a statement.  

The Centers for Disease Control also recommends that individuals don’t scatter food on the ground for birds, and to keep pets away from bird feeders and dead birds. 

For those who still want to delight in watching wild songbirds in their birdbaths and feeders, a virtual experience of birds and their mating habits is now offered through the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s live bird cams

CDC is also encouraging people with bird feeders to regularly clean and disinfect them. People may become ill from touching wild birds or something in its environment, such as a bird feeder or bird bath, and then touching their mouth or face and swallowing Salmonella germs.

Wild songbirds, such as pine siskins, can be found throughout the United States, so this outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses. The true number of sick people in an outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported 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 2 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak. Pine siskins and other songbirds impacted by this outbreak are distributed across North America including the United States and may migrate seasonally.

Health departments across the United States are aware of the outbreak and conducting routine surveillance which would allow for identification of new illnesses.

A+
a-
  • California
  • health
  • Kenctucky
  • Mississippi
  • New Hampshire
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Pine Siskins
  • salmonella
  • songbirds
  • Vermont
  • Washington State
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    Health

    December 8, 2023
    by Dan McCue
    FDA Approves a CRISPR-Based Medicine to Treat Sickle Cell Disease

    WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved the world’s first medicine based on CRISPR gene-editing technology for... Read More

    WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved the world’s first medicine based on CRISPR gene-editing technology for the treatment of sickle cell disease. The new treatment, called Casgevy, was manufactured by Vertex Pharmaceuticals, of Boston, Massachusetts, and CRISPR Therapeutics, of Switzerland, using a... Read More

    Chronic Fatigue Syndrome More Common Than Past Studies Suggest, CDC Says

    NEW YORK (AP) — Health officials on Friday released the first nationally representative estimate of how many U.S. adults have... Read More

    NEW YORK (AP) — Health officials on Friday released the first nationally representative estimate of how many U.S. adults have chronic fatigue syndrome: 3.3 million. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's number is larger than previous studies have suggested, and is likely boosted by some... Read More

    December 8, 2023
    by Tom Ramstack
    White House Threatens to Penalize Pharma Companies for High Prices

    WASHINGTON — The Biden administration announced a plan Thursday to lower prescription drug costs in a move that takes a... Read More

    WASHINGTON — The Biden administration announced a plan Thursday to lower prescription drug costs in a move that takes a tough stance toward pharmaceutical companies charging high prices. If the Federal Trade Commission determines the prices are unreasonable, the new policy allows the federal government to... Read More

    December 6, 2023
    by Dan McCue
    House Unanimously Passes Bill to Increase Mental Health Resources for Veterans’ Caregivers

    WASHINGTON — The House on Monday unanimously passed the Caregiver Outreach and Program Enhancement Act, which would increase mental health... Read More

    WASHINGTON — The House on Monday unanimously passed the Caregiver Outreach and Program Enhancement Act, which would increase mental health resources available to caregivers of America’s veteran population. Alternately known as the COPE Act, the bipartisan legislation sponsored by Reps. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., and Jen Kiggans,... Read More

    December 6, 2023
    by Dan McCue
    HHS Unveils Next Steps to Enhance Cybersecurity of Health Care Records

    WASHINGTON — The bad guys in cyberspace want your health care records.  Between 2018 and 2022, there was a 93%... Read More

    WASHINGTON — The bad guys in cyberspace want your health care records.  Between 2018 and 2022, there was a 93% increase in large breaches in the health care sector, with a 278% increase in large breaches involving ransomware, according to the Department of Health and Human... Read More

    December 6, 2023
    by Dan McCue
    New Report Sheds Some Light on Rare Post-COVID Shot Syndrome

    NEW HAVEN, Conn. — A study from the Yale School of Medicine sheds some new light on the rare, but... Read More

    NEW HAVEN, Conn. — A study from the Yale School of Medicine sheds some new light on the rare, but chronic and debilitating condition some people report experiencing after getting a COVID-19 vaccination. The paper, which was posted on the preprint server medRxiv and has not... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top