Don't 'kiss' or 'snuggle' backyard chickens or you could get salmonella, CDC warns

backyard chicken.
(Image credit: SAMANTHA SIN / Getty Images)

Backyard chickens are the main culprit in a national salmonella outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday.

The birds, which have become a status symbol among the elite in Silicon Valley, are now responsible for 52 people contracting salmonella in 21 states, the CDC said. Despite their trendiness in California, it's Ohio that has reported the highest number of salmonella cases, with 9 people falling ill. About one-quarter of the victims of the outbreak are under 5 years old, reports USA Today.

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