Salmonella outbreak reaches 14 more people in Montana

HELENA – A salmonella outbreak across the country has hit 14 more people in Montana.

The Department of Public Health and Human Services said Monday that the new cases in Montana have been reported in 11 different counties.

The Centers for Disease Control said 372 people in 47 states have contracted the disease this year.

More than one-third of the Montana cases have been children under 10. Montana residents associated with the outbreak have reported obtaining live baby poultry, such as chicks and ducklings, from feed supply stores and relatives.

State health officials say that salmonella is an organism that healthy poultry can carry without making them ill but can cause severe diarrhea and abdominal pain in humans, which can lead to dehydration.