Due to increased awareness among health-care professionals, more salmonellosis cases are now being reported.  However, many cases probably go undiagnosed and unreported, as the signs may be nonspecific and self-limiting (especially in adults).  Symptoms in humans can include abdominal pain, cramps, diarrhea, dysentery, nausea, vomiting and fever.  In young children, salmonellosis can lead to meningitis and other serious complications, including brain abscesses, especially in infants.  With Salmonella, children under 10 years of age, infants and immunosuppressed individuals are at greater risk.

 

Samonella is a group of bacteria that includes approximately 2,000 species divided into five subgenera.  Most vertebrates can be infected with some Salmonella spp.  However, the host susceptibility and development of carrier states vary widely among species.  Some serotypes are quite host-specific, but all serotypes within the S. enteriditis should be considered potentially contagious to humans and other animals.

 

Estimates of the percentage of reptiles harboring some species of Salmonella (and as many as five serotypes can be isolated froma  single reptile) have been reported to be as high as 83.6 percent to 93.7 percent, depending on the method of testing.  Turtles, snakes and lizards are the most commonly infected reptiles.  Since many apparently healthy reptiles may be harboring Salmonella bacteria, it is important to learn how to protect yourself and your family from the risk of infection.  Here are some methods that you can use to minimize your exposure to Salmonella bacteria.

 

 

The first step in preventing salmonellosis is being aware of the risks.  Herpetologists and preeders may be a greater risk because of their exposure to more reptiles and species, but because theya re more likely to be aware of the risk of zoonotic diseases, they are more likely to practice sound husbandry and sanitation.

 

On the other hand, single pet owners may not even be aware that there are zoonotic diseases they can catch from their pet herps, so it is vital that pet store personnel, veterinarians and breeders educate the public as often as possible.  Being aware of the potential risk is the first step in prevention.

 

 

Owners should be taught how to properly handle their pets to minimize the risk of being bitten or scratched.  Children should not handle reptiles until they can understand that they cannot kiss their pet herps, and that they must never put their pets in their mouths!  Older children should be taught that they must wash their hands with antibacterial soap after handling their pets, the dishes or cages, and the children should be closely supervised while they interact with their herps.

 

 

Reptiles should never be kept in the kitchen or in other areas where food for human consumption is prepared or eaten.  Because lab testing is an unreliable indicator of the Salmonella status of herps, it is best to treat them all as if they were asymptomatic carriers.  keeping that in mind, pet herps, especially the tame, pet green iguana that freely wanders through the home, should be banished from the kitchen, including the widnowsills and curtain rods.

 

 

Because herps may be carrying Salmonella, never allow them to swim or soak in the kitchen sink (or bathtubs used for humans, for that matter).  it is also very bad practice to wash equipment or dump water bowls into the kitchen sink.  It is better to dump refuse into the commode or into a lined garbage bag.

 

 

When cleaning cages or handling fecal material or used cage bedding, wear protective gloves.  This is a simple way to significantly reduce the risk of contamination with potential pathogens, including Salmonella.  If pressurewashing caging, equipment or dishes, it may be safer to wear a face shield to reduce the risk of aerosolizing bacteria during the process.

 

 

Purchase a separate soaking pool just for use with herps.  Or, if desired, you can desgnate a sink or bathtub in the home solely for use by your herps.  However, strict attention must be paid by the family to ensure that the sink or tub is not used by any humans.  The soaking pool, sink or tub should be properly disinfected after each use with bleach/water or another disinfectant recommended by your herp vet.  Remember that Salmonella bacteria can remain virulent in tap water for 89 days, 115 days in pond water, 280 days in garden soil, and for 28 months in avian feces.

 

 

Infants, small children (under the age of 10), geriatric folks, HIV positive people, people suffering from autoimmune disease, or those on immunosuppressive therapy (including steroids) should not be exposed to herps or their caging.  People that are more susceptible to pacterial infections should avoid herps.  Because testing cannot always identify herps carrying Salmonella bacteria, it is safer to avoid exposure in high-risk people.  If a child less than 10 years old is seriously interested in herps, it is recommended that he or she be closely supervised around these animals to ensure safe handling, and scrupulous personal hygiene after handling.  This should be the responsibility of an adult who understands Salmonella and the risks it poses.

 

 

Although purchasing domestic herps cannot guarantee that they will be more healthy, it is however, more likely that they will not be carrying the parasite load of wild-caught specimens.  Parasites predispose herps to secondary bacterial infections, including salmonellosis.  Salmonella can also be found in domestically raised herps, but, in general, these animals are healthier than wild-caught specimens of the same species.

 

 

It is very poor practice to indiscriminately administer antibiotics to herp collections.  Buy doing so, herps may become carriers of certain bacteria, including Salmonella, and the bacteria may then be undetectable by your herp vet.  Antibiotic resistance may also occur, rendering the more commonly used antibiotics useless in teh face of a serious bacterial disease outbreak.

 

 

Other (nonherp) pets should not have any contact with reptiles or their cages, soaking pools, fecal matter or food items.  Dogs and cats should not be allowed to play with or interact with pet herps.  it can be dangerous to the reptiles, which can be injured by dogs or cats, and the herp may transmit dangerous bacteria to the other pets.

 

 

Your herp habitats should be easy to clean.  When possible, sue nonporous items, such as plastic hide boxes, easy to disinfect dishes, pools, and enclosures with rounded edges.  Substrate should be easy to clean and change, and the enclosure should have good ventilation and humidity control.  The easier the habitat is to clean, the more often it is likely to receive the necessary attention at correct intervals.

 

 

Periodic screening of your herp colletion will allow you and your vet to assess the animals for potential pathogens, including Salmonella.  parasite levels can also be assessed.  Although testing is not foolproof, if Salmonella is identified in a particular herp, at least you'll be aware of the fact that it is present in that animal.  A negative culture does not rule out Salmonella, however, but repeated testing may prove more valuable in identifying carriers.  In general, an experienced herp vet will benefit you by helping you maintain as healthy a collection as possible.