State officials say people should not buy baby chicks and ducklings as Easter gifts because the birds can carry disease. Last year, four New Mexicans and 22 people from 14 other states were infected with salmonella.

Officials say the salmonella was largely caused by exposure to baby chicks, reports the Associated Press.

People risk contracting salmonella if they keep the chicks inside the house and letting small children handle and snuggle with them, said Dr. Paul Ettestad, the state public health veterinarian with the Department of Health.