Why are there so many Salmonella outbreaks? 4 reasons for the nonstop food recalls, sicknesses, and safety warnings this year

More than 30 states reported Salmonella illnesses in 2026, with many cases linked to contact with outdoor poultry such as ducks and chickens. Separate food recalls have been tied to Salmonella contamination in milk powder used for snack seasoning. Salmonella causes about 1.35 million infections annually in the United States, most originating from food. Perceived increases can reflect better detection rather than a true rise in occurrence. Whole genome sequencing has improved outbreak identification by fingerprinting bacteria and linking related cases across distances. National use of whole genome sequencing for Salmonella surveillance began in 2019, strengthening cluster detection. Investigations also rely on interviews to find shared exposures, including backyard poultry contact.

"More than 30 states across the country have had at least one case of someone sick with Salmonella so far in 2026. Many of those cases are believed to be caused by contact with outdoor poultry, like ducks and chickens. But separately, there's also been a wave of food recalls for Salmonella contamination, tied to milk powder used in snack seasoning."

"If it seems like Salmonella is becoming more common, though, there are a few reasons why-related to how we detect such outbreaks, and how climate change affects our environments. Better outbreak detection One reason you may notice more Salmonella recalls or news about infections is that we've simply gotten better at detecting outbreaks, even in the last decade."

"Advances in laboratory practices mean food safety experts can "fingerprint" the bacteria, which helps identify when two Salmonella cases might be related to each other-even if they're far apart. Scientists do this through whole genome sequencing, analyzing samples from people who have gotten sick with Salmonella and linking cases together. But we only started using whole genome sequencing for salmonella surveillance as a nation as of 2019."

"To do those investigations, officials interview people who have been infected to find commonalities, like if they've had contact with any backyard chickens, for example. "Every year, we're having outbreaks associated with people getting young chickens o"

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