Childhood Asthma

Childhood Asthma Treatment: Not One-Size-Fits-All

Study helps guide treatment choices

A new study has found the addition of long-acting beta-agonist therapy to be the most effective of three step-up, or supplemental, treatments for children whose asthma is not well controlled on low doses of inhaled corticosteroids alone.

The study was designed to provide needed evidence for selecting step-up care for such children and was supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health. Researchers also identified patient characteristics, such as race, that can help predict which step-up therapy is more likely to be the most effective for a child with persistent asthma.

The study found that almost all of its participants had a different response to the three different treatments. Although adding the long acting beta-agonist step-up was one and one-half times more likely to be the best treatment for most of the study group, many children responded best to other two treatments instead.

The results were presented March 2 at the American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology 2010 Annual Meeting in New Orleans and are published online in the New England Journal of Medicine.

"These results fill an important gap in our asthma guidelines," said NHLBI Acting Director Susan B. Shurin, M.D., a board-certified pediatrician. "At the time the guidelines were written, there were very few comparison studies conducted in children whose asthma was poorly controlled with low-dose inhaled corticosteroids. Now that we have these study data, we can more confidently make recommendations for these children."

The NHLBI's Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma (EPR-3) recommend three treatment options for children with mild to moderate persistent asthma – for example, those experiencing symptoms at least two days per week – whose asthma is not well controlled on low doses of inhaled corticosteroids. These treatments, which were featured in the study, are adding a long acting beta agonist to the low-dose inhaled corticosteroids; adding a leukotriene receptor antagonist to the low-dose inhaled corticosteroids; and doubling the dose of inhaled corticosteroids. These recommendations were based on data collected from adults.

The study, called Best Add on Therapy Giving Effective Responses (BADGER), compared how effectively the three different step-up treatments improved asthma control in 182 children ages 6 to 18 years. All participants had mild to moderate persistent asthma that was not controlled on low-dose inhaled corticosteroids. Participants received each of the three treatments, with each treatment period lasting 16 weeks.

Responses were measured based on three factors: number of asthma episodes requiring oral corticosteroids, number of days of well controlled asthma, and lung function as measured by the amount of air exhaled in one second.

Overall, adding a long-acting beta-agonist to inhaled corticosteroids was significantly more likely (1.5 times) to be the best step-up therapy as compared to adding a leukotriene receptor antagonist to inhaled corticosteroids or to doubling inhaled corticosteroids.

Nearly all the children responded differently to the three treatments, with 45 percent of children responding best to adding a long-acting beta-agonist, 28 percent responding best to adding leukotriene receptor antagonist, and 27 percent responding best to doubling the dose of inhaled corticosteroids.

The study also identified several patient characteristics that increased the likelihood of identifying which step-up treatment would be more effective for an individual child. For example, African-American study participants were equally likely to respond best to long-acting beta-agonist step-up or inhaled corticosteroids step-up, and least likely to respond best to leukotriene receptor antagonist step-up. For white participants, the addition of a long-acting beta-agonist was clearly the most likely step-up therapy to give the best response, with inhaled corticosteroids step-up the least favorable therapy.

In addition, a long-acting beta-agonist was more likely to be the most effective step-up therapy among children who started the study with high scores on the Asthma Control Test, a five-item health survey used to measure asthma control, and among those who did not have eczema, an allergic skin condition.

"This study underscores the fact that individuals respond differently to different therapies " childhood asthma treatment is not one-size-fits-all," said Robert F. Lemanske, Jr., M.D., of the University of Wisconsin Hospital-Madison, one of the principal investigators of the study and lead author of the paper. "It is important to monitor the child’s response closely and, if necessary, adjust therapy with one of the other options within this step of care before moving to a higher step of care."

The benefit of adding a different class of medication may be because of a possible ceiling effect for low-dose inhaled corticosteroids in some children, Dr. Lemanske said.

The observed overall best performance of long-acting beta-agonist step-up should be weighed against the increased risk of severe worsening of asthma symptoms leading to hospitalization and, in rare cases, death, as noted in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved labeling for long-acting beta agonists. Although there were no safety differences among the treatments during this study, the researchers assert the BADGER trial was not designed or powered to evaluate long-term safety of long-acting beta-agonists in children.

"This is the kind of study that will advance strategies for personalized medicine and improve treatment for children who have asthma," said James Kiley, Ph.D, director of the NHLBI Division of Lung Diseases.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 7 million children in the United States have asthma, a leading cause of hospitalizations and school absenteeism. Common asthma symptoms include wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing. While there is no cure for asthma, most children who receive effective treatment are able to control symptoms.

The study was conducted by researchers with the NHLBI's Childhood Asthma Research and Education Network (CARE) centers. The CARE Network was established in 1999 to evaluate treatments for children with asthma; study sites are Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pa.; National Jewish Health, Denver; University of Wisconsin – Madison; University of California, San Diego/Kaiser Permanente Medical Center; Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Mo.; and University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson.

CARE centers also received support for this study from the National Center for Research Resources and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, both part of NIH. Medications were provided by GlaxoSmithKline and Merck, Inc.

NIH

MMR Vaccine

MMR Vaccine: The Best Protection against Mumps

One of the best ways to protect children from vaccine-preventable diseases is to vaccinate them on time. Check your child's medical records to see whether he or she has already received the MMR vaccine (for measles, mumps, and rubella).

Mumps is traditionally thought of as a childhood disease. The mumps virus affects the saliva glands, causing the puffy cheeks and swollen jaw that used to be almost a routine part of childhood. This scene became less common after the mid-1960s, when a vaccine was developed against mumps. Due to widespread use of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine, most parents today are unfamiliar with mumps.

But mumps has not disappeared entirely in the United States. Every year, a few hundred cases are reported to public health agencies. In 2006, an outbreak of mumps focused in the Midwest affected more than 6,000 people. Public health experts believe that the high vaccine coverage with two doses of MMR vaccine considerably limited the size of the outbreak, which may otherwise have numbered in the tens or even hundreds of thousands. Since June 2009, a mumps outbreak has been occurring in the Northeast. By late February 2010, more than 2,500 persons had been infected. Most of them were vaccinated, but, as in 2006, the outbreak would have been a lot larger without the high vaccine coverage in the affected communities. Group settings where persons had close contact for long periods of time may have made it easier for the disease to spread in both the 2006 and the 2009–10 mumps outbreaks.

Mumps virus usually causes fever, general discomfort, and (in most, but not all cases) the characteristic swollen jaw. However, complications can occur and might be more severe in teenagers and adults. Mumps can cause headache and stiff neck (called meningitis), inflammation of the testicles (called orchitis), deafness, and, in rare cases, inflammation of the brain (called encephalitis), which can lead to permanent disabilities or even death.

The Best Protection against Mumps—the MMR Vaccine

The mumps vaccine was licensed in 1967 and is usually administered as part of the MMR vaccine. MMR is a combination vaccine that provides protection from three viral diseases: measles, mumps, and rubella. The MMR vaccine is strongly endorsed by medical and public health experts as safe and effective. Two doses are recommended for children—the first dose at 12 to 15 months of age and the second dose before entering school at 4 to 6 years of age.

See If Your Child's MMR Vaccine Is Due

• Check your child's immunization record,
• Contact their healthcare provider, or
• Visit the immunization scheduler for newborn to 6-year-old children.

Paying for the MMR Vaccine

Most health insurance plans cover the cost of vaccines, but you may want to check with your insurance provider before going to the doctor. If you don't have insurance, or if it does not cover vaccines, the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program may be able to help.

The Vaccines for Children (VFC) program helps families of eligible children who might not otherwise have access to vaccines. The program provides vaccines at no cost to doctors who serve eligible children. Children younger than 19 years of age are eligible for VFC vaccines if they are Medicaid-eligible, American Indian, Alaska Native, or have no health insurance. "Underinsured" children who have health insurance that does not cover vaccination can receive VFC vaccines through Federally Qualified Health Centers or Rural Health Centers. Parents of uninsured or underinsured children who receive vaccines at no cost through the VFC Program should check with their healthcare providers about possible administration fees that might apply. These fees help providers cover the costs that result from important services like storing the vaccines and paying staff members to give vaccines to patients. However, VFC vaccines cannot be denied to an eligible child if a family can't afford the fee.

Some Adults Need MMR Vaccine Too!

Anyone born during or after 1957 who has not had mumps or has not been vaccinated is at risk of getting mumps and should receive at least one dose of MMR vaccine. Some adults need two doses of the vaccine because they are at higher risk of getting the disease. Adults at higher risk include college students and other post–high school students, international travelers, and healthcare personnel.

CDC

What is gum disease?

What is TB?

Also called: TB

Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection caused by a germ called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria usually attack the lungs, but they can also damage other parts of the body. TB spreads through the air when a person with TB of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes or talks. If you have been exposed, you should go to your doctor for tests. You are more likely to get TB if you have a weak immune system.

Symptoms of TB in the lungs may include:

A bad cough that lasts 3 weeks or longer

Weight loss

Coughing up blood or mucus

Weakness or fatigue

Fever and chills

Night sweats

If not treated properly, TB can be deadly. You can usually cure active TB by taking several medicines for a long period of time. People with latent TB can take medicine so that they do not develop active TB.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Tuberculosis Awareness

TB Elimination: Together We Can!

World TB Day is March 24. This annual event commemorates the date in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced his discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes tuberculosis (TB). Among infectious diseases, TB remains a leading killer of adults in the world, with an estimated 2 million TB-related deaths worldwide each year.

Working Together to Eliminate TB

"Although preventable and treatable, malaria, tuberculosis (TB), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) together kill more than 5 million people annually. The burden of these diseases can be reduced—but only with increased governmental and nongovernmental resources, effective public-private partnerships, and strengthened disease-specific and general health systems."

(Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Administrator, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry)

Many people think that TB is a disease of the past — an illness that no longer threatens us today. One reason for this belief is that, in the United States, we are at an all-time low in the number of persons diagnosed with active TB disease. That very success makes us vulnerable to complacency and neglect. But it also gives us an opportunity to eliminate TB in this country. We can reach the goal of TB elimination by working together and strengthening partnerships.

This country's progress in controlling TB will only be sustainable if local, state, national, and international partners from all sectors of our society join resources and collaborate together. Our united effort is needed to reach those at highest risk for TB, and to identify and implement innovative strategies to improve testing and treatment among high-risk populations. CDC and its domestic and international partners, including the National TB Controllers Association , Stop TB USA , and the global Stop TB Partnership , are taking many steps to prevent further spread of TB and to reduce the overall burden of the disease. Efforts range from developing new treatment regimens and increasing the capacity of health professionals to provide adequate treatment, to issuing new recommendations for improved testing and treatment.

What Can You Do?

Learn about TB. Because many people are not aware of the impact of TB, local TB coalitions in many states and countries are convening educational and awareness activities related to World TB Day. Look to see how you can learn more and get involved.

World TB Day 2010 — Activities

Send a World TB Day e-Card to someone you know to increase awareness of this important day.

Until TB is eliminated, World TB Day won't be a celebration. But it is a valuable opportunity to educate the public about the devastation of TB and how it can be stopped.

CDC

Mold

After natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods, excess moisture and standing water contribute to the growth of mold in homes and other buildings. When returning to a home that has been flooded, be aware that mold may be present and may be a health risk for your family.

People at Greatest Risk from Mold

People with asthma, allergies, or other breathing conditions may be more sensitive to mold. People with immune suppression (such as people with HIV infection, cancer patients taking chemotherapy, and people who have received an organ transplant) are more susceptible to mold infections.

Possible Health Effects of Mold Exposure

People who are sensitive to mold may experience stuffy nose, irritated eyes, wheezing, or skin irritation. People allergic to mold may have difficulty in breathing and shortness of breath. People with weakened immune systems and with chronic lung diseases, such as obstructive lung disease, may develop mold infections in their lungs. If you or your family members have health problems after exposure to mold, contact your doctor or other health care provider.

Recognizing Mold

You may recognize mold by:

• Sight (Are the walls and ceiling discolored, or do they show signs of mold growth or water damage?)

Smell (Do you smell a bad odor, such as a musty, earthy smell or a foul stench?)

Safely Preventing Mold Growth

Clean up and dry out the building quickly (within 24 to 48 hours). Open doors and windows. Use fans to dry out the building. (See the fact sheet for drying out your house, Reentering Your Flooded Home).

When in doubt, take it out! Remove all porous items that have been wet for more than 48 hours and that cannot be thoroughly cleaned and dried. These items can remain a source of mold growth and should be removed from the home. Porous, noncleanable items include carpeting and carpet padding, upholstery, wallpaper, drywall, floor and ceiling tiles, insulation material, some clothing, leather, paper, wood, and food. Removal and cleaning are important because even dead mold may cause allergic reactions in some people.

To prevent mold growth, clean wet items and surfaces with detergent and water.

Homeowners may want to temporarily store items outside of the home until insurance claims can be filed.

If you wish to disinfect, refer to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) document, A Brief Guide to Mold and Moisture in Your Home.

If there is mold growth in your home, you should clean up the mold and fix any water problem, such as leaks in roofs, walls, or plumbing. Controlling moisture in your home is the most critical factor for preventing mold growth.

To remove mold growth from hard surfaces use commercial products, soap and water, or a bleach solution of no more than 1 cup of bleach in 1 gallon of water. Use a stiff brush on rough surface materials such as concrete.

If you choose to use bleach to remove mold:

Never mix bleach with ammonia or other household cleaners. Mixing bleach with ammonia or other cleaning products will produce dangerous, toxic fumes

Open windows and doors to provide fresh air.

Wear non-porous gloves and protective eye wear.

If the area to be cleaned is more than 10 square feet, consult the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guide titled Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings . Although focused on schools and commercial buildings, this document also applies to other building types. You can get it free by calling the EPA Indoor Air Quality Information Clearinghouse at (800) 438-4318.

Always follow the manufacturer's instructions when using bleach or any other cleaning product.

If you plan to be inside the building for a while or you plan to clean up mold, you should buy an N95 mask at your local home supply store and wear it while in the building. Make certain that you follow instructions on the package for fitting the mask tightly to your face. If you go back into the building for a short time and are not cleaning up mold, you do not need to wear an N95 mask.

CDC

National Native HIV Awareness

National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
March 20, 2010, the first day of spring, is National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. This national observance is an opportunity for Native peoples to mobilize across the United States to learn more and educate others about HIV/AIDS, encourage HIV counseling and testing, and get involved in HIV prevention activities.

On March 20, we recognize the mounting impact of HIV/AIDS on our country’s Native peoples—American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians. This observance day is our opportunity to collectively and on a national scale raise awareness of the risks of the disease to Native peoples, to help understand the dynamics contributing to those risks, and to encourage testing for HIV.

Through projects such as Commitment to Action for 7th-Generation Awareness & Education: HIV/AIDS Prevention Project , American Indians (AI), Alaska Natives (AN), and Native Hawaiians are working to increase effective HIV/AIDS prevention, and encourage and support early detection through testing in their communities. By culturally adapting HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs, we can limit the spread of this devastating disease among Native peoples.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic is a serious health threat to Native communities. Although AIs and ANs represent roughly 1% of the U.S. population, they have historically suffered high rates of health disparities, including HIV/AIDS. Compared with all other races and ethnicities, AIs and ANs continue to rank third in the nation in the rate of HIV/AIDS diagnoses. Moreover, AIs, ANs, and Native Hawaiians who are diagnosed with AIDS die sooner after their diagnosis than members of any other ethnic or racial group, suggesting that they are diagnosed late in the course of infection and underscoring the importance of increasing access to basic health care services.

An estimated 26% of HIV-infected AIs and ANs are unaware of their infection. This suggests that many AIs and ANs with HIV are not receiving proper counseling and care, placing them at risk for becoming very sick and further spreading the virus. Lack of access to basic health care services, stigma associated with gay relationships and HIV/AIDS, barriers to effective mental health care, and high rates of substance abuse, sexually transmitted infections, and poverty all increase the risk of HIV/AIDS in Native communities and create obstacles to HIV prevention and treatment.

To find an HIV testing location near you, go to www.hivtest.org or text your ZIP Code to KNOW IT (566948).

Spring: A Time of Change

In many cultures, spring represents a time of equality and balance and is a time of profound change, new beginnings, and birth. For these reasons, the first day of spring was chosen for the annual National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

What Can You Do?

Get tested for HIV. To find a testing site center near you, text your ZIP Code to KNOW IT (566948).

Visit the Act Against AIDS Web site to get the facts about HIV/AIDS, including:

- Learning the risk factors for acquiring HIV.

- Avoiding high-risk behaviors.

- Practicing safer methods to prevent HIV infection.

Talk about HIV prevention with family, friends, and colleagues.

Provide support to people living with HIV/AIDS.

Get involved with or host an event for National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day in your community.

CDC

Heart Disease and Women

The Heart Truth – Lower Heart Disease Risk

What is Heart Disease?

When you hear the term “heart disease,” you may think, “That’s a man’s disease” or “Not my problem.” But here is The Heart Truth^®: one in four women in the United States dies of heart disease, while one in 30 dies of breast cancer. If you’ve got a heart, heart disease could be your problem.

What Are the Risk Factors for Heart Disease?

An astonishing 80 percent of women ages 40 to 60 have one or more risk factor for heart disease. Having one or more risk factors dramatically increases a woman’s chance of developing heart disease because risk factors tend to worsen each other’s effects. In fact, according to research compiled by the NHLBI, having just one risk factor doubles your chance of developing heart disease.

Whatever a woman’s age, she needs to take action to protect her heart health. Heart disease can begin early, even in the teen years, and women in their 20s and 30s need to take action to reduce their risk of developing heart disease. Yet among U.S. women ages 18 and older, 17.3 percent are current smokers, 51.6 are overweight (BMI 25 or greater), 27 percent have hypertension, 35 percent have high cholesterol, and 53 percent do not meet physical activity recommendations. African American and Hispanic women, in particular, have higher rates of some risk factors for heart disease and are disproportionately affected by the disease compared to white women. More than 80 percent of midlife African American women are overweight or obese, 52 percent have hypertension, and 14 percent have been diagnosed with diabetes. Some 83 percent of midlife Hispanic women are overweight or obese, and more than 10 percent have been diagnosed with diabetes.

How Do I Find Out if I Am at Risk for Heart Disease?

Some women believe that doing just one healthy thing will take care of all their heart disease risk. For example, they may think that if they walk or swim regularly, they can still smoke and stay fairly healthy. Wrong! To protect your heart, it is vital to make changes that address each risk factor you have.

A damaged heart can damage your life by interfering with enjoyable activities and even your ability to do simple things, such as taking a walk or climbing steps. Heart disease cannot be “cured.” It is a lifelong condition—once you get it, you’ll always have it.

Fortunately, it’s a problem you can do something about. Find out your risk for heart disease and take steps to prevent and control it. Talk to your physician to get more answers. Start taking action today to protect your heart. By doing just 4 things—eating right, being physically active, not smoking, and keeping a healthy weight—you can reduce your risk of heart disease by as much as 82 percent. Visit The Heart Truth's tools and resources.

NIH

Preventing Accidental Poisoning

Stay Safe During Poison Prevention Week

In 2006, 75 people died every day from unintentional poisoning – and the number of deaths has been increasing. Learn how to reduce your— or a loved one's— risk.

The Poison Prevention Week Council has designated March 14-20, 2010 as Poison Prevention Week. This observance is focused on raising awareness about unintentional poisoning—a serious and often unrecognized problem.

Any substance, including medications, can be poisonous if too much is taken. When the person taking or giving a substance did not mean to cause harm, this is an unintentional poisoning.

What You Should Know

• In 2006, a total of 27,531 people in the United States died from unintentional poisoning.
• In 2008, more than 2,000 people a day— a total of 732,316— were seen in emergency departments after a poisoning incident.
• Unintentional poisoning deaths are on the rise. Poisoning death rates in the United States increased by 63% from 1999 to 2004.
• 96% of unintentional poisoning deaths are a result of drug poisoning—and more than half of them are due to prescription drugs.
• An estimated 71,000 children (18 years old and younger) are seen in emergency departments each year because of medication poisonings (excluding recreational drug use). Over 80% were because an unsupervised child found and consumed

What You Can Do

Keep yourself and others safe from unintentional poisoning

• Follow directions on labels when you give or take medicines. Some medicines cannot be taken safely with other medications or with alcohol.
• To avoid drug interactions, check with your doctor if you are taking more than one prescription medication at a time.
• Keep medicines in their original bottles or containers.
• Never share or sell your prescription drugs to others, including family members.
• Keep all pain medications, such as methadone, hydrocodone, and oxycodone, in a safe place only reachable by people for whom use is prescribed.
• Monitor the use of medicines for children and teenagers, such as medicines for attention deficit disorder, or ADD, and cold and cough medications.
• Follow federal guidelines for disposal of unused, unneeded, or expired prescription drugs.

Protect children from poisoning

• Keep medicines and toxic products, such as cleaning solutions, in locked or childproof cabinets.
• Put the nationwide poison control center phone number, 1-800-222-1222, on or near every telephone in your home. You should also program it into your cellular phone. Call poison control if you think a child has been poisoned and if they are awake and alert. Call 911 if you have a poison emergency and your child has collapsed or is not breathing.
• Follow label directions and read all warnings when giving medicines to children.
• Always secure the child safety cap and put medicine away immediately after you use it.

CDC

Salmonella from Live Baby Poultry

Risk of Human Salmonella Infections from Live Baby Poultry

Peep, chirp, quack! Live baby poultry, such as chicks, ducklings, goslings, and baby turkeys, often carry harmful germs called Salmonella. After you touch a chick, duck, or other baby bird, or anything in the area where they live and roam, WASH YOUR HANDS so you don’t get sick!

Easter brings to mind brightly colored eggs, baskets full of candy, and large chocolate bunnies. Traditions associated with the Easter season are enjoyable for both children and adults. However, some Easter traditions may be of concern for children and place them at risk for illness. Live baby poultry are sometimes given as Easter gifts.  During the spring months, they are also put on display at stores where children may be able to touch the birds or areas where they are displayed. Because these birds are so soft and cute, many people do not realize the potential danger that live baby poultry can be, especially to children.  Each spring, some children become infected with Salmonella after receiving a chick or other baby bird for Easter.  It is important to remember that illness can occur from these baby birds or adult birds at any time of the year, and not just during the Easter season.

Live baby poultry can carry Salmonella and not appear sick, but can spread the germs to people.  Children can be exposed to Salmonella by holding, cuddling, or kissing the birds and by touching things where the bird lives, such as cages or feed and water bowls. Young children are especially at risk for illness because their immune systems are still developing and because they are more likely than others to put their fingers or other items into their mouths.

Salmonella can make people sick with diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and/or abdominal cramps. Sometimes, people can become so sick from a Salmonella infection that they have to go to the hospital. Infants, elderly persons, and those with weakened immune systems are more likely than others to develop severe illness. When severe infection occurs, Salmonella may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other body sites and can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics.

Check out the questions and answers below for more information on Salmonella infection and how to prevent getting germs from live baby poultry. You may also obtain further information by talking to your health care provider or veterinarian.

How do people get Salmonella infections from live baby poultry?

Live baby poultry may have Salmonella germs on their bodies and in their droppings, even when they appear healthy and clean. The germs can also get on cages, coops, and wherever birds walk around. Anything that live baby poultry touch should be considered contaminated with Salmonella. When you touch live baby poultry, the germs can get on your hands or clothing.  It is important to wash your hands immediately after touching chicks or anything in the area where they live and roam, because the germs on your hands can easily spread to other people or things.  Children tend to touch their mouths frequently, so it is especially important to have them wash their hands after touching live baby poultry.

How do I reduce the risk of Salmonella infection from live baby poultry?

Recommendations for Preventing Transmission of Salmonella from Live Poultry to Humans

Always wash your hands with soap and water immediately after touching poultry.  Use a hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.

Do not let children less than 5 years of age touch birds.

Do not eat or drink around birds or around their living areas.

Do not let birds inside the house or in areas where food or drink is prepared or served, such as kitchens or outdoor patios.

Clean bird cages and related items outside of your house, never in the kitchen sink or bathtub.

Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water immediately after touching live baby poultry or anything in the area where they live and roam. Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not readily available.

Adults should supervise hand washing for young children.

Don’t snuggle or kiss the birds, touch your mouth, or eat or drink around live baby poultry.

Do not let live baby poultry inside the house or in areas where food or drink is prepared, served, or stored, such as kitchens, pantries, or outdoor patios.

Do not clean any equipment or materials associated with raising or caring for live poultry, such as cages or feed or water containers, in the house.

Do not let children younger than 5 years of age handle or touch chicks, ducklings, or other live poultry.

Don’t give live baby poultry as gifts to young children.

If you suspect you and your child has Salmonella infection, please contact your health care provider immediately.

Are there any restrictions about owning live poultry?

Rules and regulations vary by city, county, and state ordinances, so check with your local government to determine restrictions about owning live poultry.

CDC

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