Chick paper sampling: a One Health approach to inform public health action during salmonellosis outbreaks linked to backyard poultry in the United States, 2023

Introduction: Every year, cases of salmonellosis associated with backyard poultry (BYP) contact are reported, despite public health prevention efforts. Methods: We sampled chick shipping materials (“chick paper”) at agricultural retailers to detect Salmonella and to identify supply hatcheries to share mitigation information. Results: Six states collected 149 samples, and 55 (37%) were positive for Salmonella. These yielded 107 Salmonella isolates; 47 (44%) of the isolates were Salmonella serotypes that matched a subset of the outbreak strains identified in the 2023 multistate BYP-associated outbreak investigation. Discussion: Isolates obtained through chick shipping material sampling support timely identification of source hatcheries and public health prevention activities. These results suggest chick paper sampling can be a valuable tool during outbreaks linked to BYP.