Pet Hamsters, Mice Could Make Owners Sick

[strikerratt]

WESH.com - Health - Pet Hamsters, Mice Could Make Owners Sick

[strikerratt]

Outbreak of Multidrug-Resistant Salmonella Typhimurium Associated with Rodents Purchased at Retail Pet Stores --- Unit...

[Ginevive]

That'[s why I always wash my hands after handling any of the feeder mice/rats I breed! Yuk!

[elevatethis]

Although I think that there may be an age limit for the Darwain Award, that boy from MN very well could have been a nominee for it if he wouldn't have pulled through the infection....

What parent lets their child handle or kiss a lethargic, diaherrea-striken dying mouse? Geeze....


Nonetheless....sounds like we all need to be extra careful with our feeders for the next few months. Bust out the hand sanitizers everyone!

[SatanicIntention]

No no, bust out the Dawn dish soap. That's just nasty. Those parents need to learn some sanitation lessons to teach their children. Don't kiss the disease-stricken, diarrhea-ridden, icky pet store hamster/mouse! Wash your hands after cleaning the cage/holding Fluffy/etc. Just gross... Those hamsters always seem very prone to getting wet tail and other illnesses just because of a little stress from the ride home.

[frankykeno]

Okay my lil rant here....sick hamsters, mice, whatever, didn't make this children sick...stupid parents did!

Good lord how could any parent allow a small child to handle and put a sick animal to it's face and mouth! That's just so disgusting! Maybe I am a bit picky with our kids but we have a standard rule for the kids handling our pet rats...if you handle them you wash with soap and water before you do anything else....you don't kiss anything on the mouth that licks it's own butt...and mom or dad cleans the cage bedding....the kids do the water/food bowls and stuff...but we adults do the "poop" areas. Same rule with the cat, they do feeding...I do the litter box. I've actually seen parents allow their kids to give treats from their mouth to a pet's mouth.....ick!

Too bad the poor kids had to suffer. It's enough to lose a pet but to get sick too is pretty sad for them.

~~Joanna~~