Experts advise against Halloween costumes for pet chickens
Digital Reporter
Wednesday, October 24, 2018, 3:03 PM - Please don't dress your pet chickens up for Halloween. They won't be happy and you might get sick. There are no winners.
That's a (paraphrased) warning coming from the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC).
Handling live chickens or their worn costumes puts people at risk of infection, because there are multiple strains of harmful bacteria that live on poultry.
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The CDC also advises against kissing or snuggling chickens and then touching your mouth.
If it's any consolation, the agency appears to be perfectly fine with people dressing up as giant chickens for Halloween.
This year, experts are particularly worried about a specific strain of multi-drug-resistant salmonella that lives on poultry.
Ninety-two people in the US have been infected with it so far. No deaths have been reported, but 21 people have been hospitalized.
If you come into contact with a trick-or-treating chicken (or are handling a raw chicken product) wash your hands thoroughly. According to the CDC, salmonella infections can be transferred to other people if your hands have germs on them.
If you need more convincing, here are the symptoms of salmonella:
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Fever
- Abdominal cramps
Happy Halloween!
