North America – The CDC is warning folks not to dress up their chickens for Halloween.

The agency says handling chickens to put on a costume or cuddling them can lead to salmonella exposure.

For some chicken owners, like Stephanie Morse, the birds are family and their owners like dressing them up each year.

“I just like to put a t-shirt on them or a sweater,” Morse said.

“Can you ever imagine not being able to dress up your chickens? Or hold them?”

“No. No. I love to hold them, I love to talk them. Everybody has names,” Morse said.

The CDC is tracking a salmonella outbreak right now and so far it’s reached 29 states, affecting 92 people. The agency says handling chickens could be a contributing factor to the outbreak.