New Article: Salmonella Prevention – Guidelines for Reptile& Amphibian Owners

[findiviglio]

Hi All,
Zoonotic diseases (those that can pass from animals to people) such Salmonella bacteria infections are a potential concern in the keeping of any pet. Many people associate Salmonella with reptiles, but nearly any animal, including dogs, cats and birds, may harbor this troublesome micro-organism. Read article here: Salmonella Prevention - Guidelines for Reptile and Amphibian Owners | That Reptile Blog
Comments and questions appreciated.

Thanks, Frank

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Bio: That Pet Place welcomes Zoologist/Herpetologist Frank Indiviglio to That Reptile Blog | That Reptile Blog

[LLLReptile]

I would say that it is not necessarily a requirement that reptiles not be kept in a household with children under 5 years of age. I can understand not letting children under 5 years of age handle reptiles, especially unsupervised, but if responsibly housed and handled, there is minimal to no risk. This is from the perspective of an adult that, as a 5 year old, got my first pet reptile... No salmonella infection resulted!

Otherwise though, good recommendations for safe handling to prevent salmonella. No one at the stores has ever contracted it, and we definitely are at "high risk" compared to the general public.

-Jen

[findiviglio]

I would say that it is not necessarily a requirement that reptiles not be kept in a household with children under 5 years of age. I can understand not letting children under 5 years of age handle reptiles, especially unsupervised, but if responsibly housed and handled, there is minimal to no risk. This is from the perspective of an adult that, as a 5 year old, got my first pet reptile... No salmonella infection resulted!

Otherwise though, good recommendations for safe handling to prevent salmonella. No one at the stores has ever contracted it, and we definitely are at "high risk" compared to the general public.

-Jen

Hi, Thanks for the kind words. My experience was the same as yours, but the age recommendation is per the CDC and so needed to be included. It's difficult to access risk, as Salmonella is always present; we have had cases among our staff at the Bronx Zoo, along with Giardia and others. Another concern is low grade infections, which showed up in several people; these seemed to cause no problems, but could become quite severe should other medical conditions tax the immune system, etc. A difficult fact of life, but I feel it best to have the info out there, esp. given all the poorly-researched news stories that have cropped up lately. Best, Frank

[LLLReptile]

Agreed, it's better to be safe than sorry.