WASHINGTON, April 7 (UPI) -- Doctors are warning live chicks bought for Easter in the United States and abroad could infect people with salmonella.
With Easter on Sunday, doctors are preparing for possible salmonella cases, which spike this time of year, USA Today reported.
Salmonella infection can cause diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps.
"We definitely don't recommend getting chicks for Easter gifts if they're not going to be a part of a backyard flock," said Casey Barton Bahravesh, who works for the Center for Disease Control. "These are farm animals, they're not pets."
Douglas Powell, a professor of food safety at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan., said if you are set on getting chicks for Easter, ask if the seller had them tested for salmonella.
"If they look at you like you're crazy, you shouldn't buy from them," he said.
