The Ohio Department of Health is warning residents that contact with baby chicks, ducklings, and other young poultry can transmit Salmonella bacteria to humans, and it is urging hand hygiene and careful handling as spring poultry sales get underway.

The agency's guidance centers on a straightforward transmission chain: live poultry can carry Salmonella in their intestinal tracts and on their bodies even when the birds appear clean and healthy. People become infected when they touch the birds, their coops, feed dishes, or bedding, and then touch their mouths or handle food without washing their hands.

Young children face particular risk. The department notes that children under five years old, along with older adults, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, are more likely to develop severe illness if infected. Because young children may snuggle or kiss baby birds, and because their hand hygiene is inconsistent, the agency advises that adults supervise all contact between children and poultry and ensure thorough handwashing afterward.

The department's practical recommendations for anyone raising backyard flocks include:

• Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water immediately after touching live poultry or anything in their environment. Alcohol-based hand sanitizer can substitute when soap and water are unavailable.
• Keep live poultry and poultry equipment out of houses, especially kitchens, pantries, and outdoor porches where food is prepared or served.
• Do not eat, drink, or handle food while interacting with live poultry or working in their coops.
• Do not allow children younger than five, older adults, or immunocompromised individuals to handle or touch live poultry without close supervision.
• Set aside a pair of shoes worn only in the coop, and do not bring those shoes indoors.
• Do not wash poultry equipment, waterers, or feeders where human food is prepared or where kitchen sinks and bathrooms are used.

For the veterinary community, the Ohio warning reinforces a recurring public-health message: backyard flocks remain a significant reservoir of human salmonellosis, and clients purchasing birds from feed stores, hatcheries, or online sellers often underestimate the zoonotic risk. Veterinarians who treat backyard poultry, and companion-animal practitioners whose clients also keep chickens or ducks, can expect questions about flock health and family safety as seasonal bird sales increase.

The department also emphasizes that hatcheries, feed stores, and other venues selling baby poultry should provide health information to buyers at the point of sale, so customers understand the handling precautions before the birds arrive home.

Salmonella infection in humans typically causes diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps beginning six hours to six days after exposure. Most people recover within four to seven days without treatment, but severe cases — particularly in young children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals — can require hospitalization. Anyone who develops these symptoms after contact with live poultry should contact a healthcare provider and mention the poultry exposure.

As backyard flock ownership continues to grow in Ohio and nationally, state health officials indicate that seasonal advisories like this one will remain a standing part of their public-health outreach each spring.