People shouldn't give chicks and other baby birds to children as springtime pets, and youngsters under five should not handle the animals, health officials in the U.S. warned Thursday.

In 2006, there were a record three U.S. springtime outbreaks of salmonella infections that were tied to baby birds, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control said in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

"Although baby birds such as chicks and ducklings might not appear dirty, they can have feces on their feathers and beaks, areas that children are more likely to touch or place in their mouths, possibly resulting in infection," the report said.

Bird feces can also contaminate surfaces such as floors, tables, rugs, sinks or fingers.

People should wash their hands with soap and warm water after handling baby poultry or anything that has been in contact with them, the CDC advised.

Salmonella illness can cause diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps that usually lasts four to seven days.

The CDC report included details of outbreaks in 21 patients in Michigan, 56 patients in Nebraska and four patients in Oregon.

Some of the patients had bloody diarrhea. In the Michigan outbreak, seven people were hospitalized for an average of four days. One person in Oregon was also hospitalized.

The outbreaks show salmonellosis from baby poultry is an ongoing public health problem, the report's authors said.

"Hatcheries should provide written information for customers at agricultural feed stores and customers who purchase directly from hatcheries, recommending ways to prevent transmission of salmonella organisms from birds to humans," they concluded.