Salmonella bacteria and chicks Many chicks carry Salmonella
bacteria in their intestinal tract and shed these bacteria in
their feces. Although Salmonella bacteria may not cause illness
in chicks, it can cause serious illness in people. Salmonella
bacteria are easily spread from chicks to humans. Humans may
become infected when they touch and consume food after handling
objects that have been in contact with the stool of chicks. For
example, a baby may be infected by drinking infant formula from
a bottle prepared by someone who did not wash hands after
touching a chick. The Salmonella bacteria must be ingested in
order to spread from chicks to humans. Simply touching or
holding a chick will not result in the spread of bacteria. Most
Salmonella infections in humans result in a mild, self-limiting
illness characterized by diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps.
However, the infection can spread to the bloodstream, bone
marrow, or nervous system, leading to severe and sometimes fatal
illness. Such severe infectio