Salmonella guys, and not fun!

Yes, four days ago I got the symptoms for salmonella. I visited the doctor yesterday after the pain got so bad I could barely breathe. After a blood sample, a match for match of symptoms and the obvious snake keeping landed me in bed with salmonella with strict rules on eating, drinking, and low activity.

If you are curious, I do wash my hands after cleaning or holding onto my snakes... but I must have touched my face or something in between, which wouldn't surprise me especially with it being so hot and sweating during my daily cleaning, feeding and checking activities.

Out of curiousity, are all snakes infected with it? I have had snakes for a couple of years now and have never had salmonella, till now, recently got a new one 7 days ago and wondering if she could be the culprit or if it could have been any of my snakes no matter how long I have had them?

Not familiar with the bacteria but a quick search tells me that the majority of reptiles carry Salmonella in their intestinal tract. Of course there are other causes, including food and potentially mammal pets.

I would think your assumption about the way you contracted it is probably right.

First of all, get better soon!

Secondly, it may not be due to the snakes. You're far more likely to get salmonella from something you ate either at home or in a restaurant (or even by touching certain fruits at the grocery store), especially if you eat a lot of uncooked vegetable foods like salad or guacamole. Unless the doctor did a culture and found that it was something specific to reptiles, I feel like that may be more likely since you use appropriate hygiene around them.

I don't think they all necessarily carry it, but I'm not sure what the exact rates are. I remember seeing somewhere where turtles were the worst reptiles to transmit it, but I'm not sure if that's because they're more likely to have it or because people are more likely to touch a turtle and not think about immediately sanitizing their hands.

I've had reptiles for about 16 years now and never came down with any sort of illness from it, and I certainly wasn't on top of hygiene practices when I was 12, so I'd say it's typically pretty difficult to get salmonella from them as a general rule.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BCS

Yes, four days ago I got the symptoms for salmonella. I visited the doctor yesterday after the pain got so bad I could barely breathe. After a blood sample, a match for match of symptoms and the obvious snake keeping landed me in bed with salmonella with strict rules on eating, drinking, and low activity.

If you are curious, I do wash my hands after cleaning or holding onto my snakes... but I must have touched my face or something in between, which wouldn't surprise me especially with it being so hot and sweating during my daily cleaning, feeding and checking activities.

Out of curiousity, are all snakes infected with it? I have had snakes for a couple of years now and have never had salmonella, till now, recently got a new one 7 days ago and wondering if she could be the culprit or if it could have been any of my snakes no matter how long I have had them?

---

The Salmonella bacteria usually don't usually cause illness in reptiles, so it's not really correct to say that they are infected with it. There are those that are carriers though and once they are a carrier it's likely that that they're going to stay that way. If you want to find out, a vet can do a fecal culture for you. Multiple cultures are pretty common, as they have to be shedding the bacteria at the time of the culture for it to show up, which they don't always do. Personally, I treat all of my animals like they are carriers and act as such.

Sorry to hear that you got the worst of it. Just keep up on the common sense sanitation and hygiene and you shouldn't have issues going forward.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DVirginiana

I've had reptiles for about 16 years now and never came down with any sort of illness from it, and I certainly wasn't on top of hygiene practices when I was 12, so I'd say it's typically pretty difficult to get salmonella from them as a general rule.

---

Seconded

I contracted salmonella eight years ago after I quit my job at mcdonalds. I always cook my meat thoroughly at home, so when I got a follow up call with my diagnosis (which was obtained from a stool sample) I tracked it back to that last meal. That particular store reset all the timers on the trays that kept the cooked patties warm, and the patties were always cooked medium. It was about two weeks of absolutely not fun. I spent a lot of time playing my playstation 2 at the time.

I totally get the uncooked food thing but the timing of me getting the new snake is what is making me think it was the snake. I don't eat much salad, though I should and I hate fruit. Love brussel sprouts and asparagus though! People find me weird for that, but i cook those. I am not saying it HAS to be my snakes but it definitely could be... either way still made me curious. I don't think I am going to go to vet to see if this is the case honestly. Maybe if it happens again I might but I will definitely be more careful about it. It really sucks and I would never wish this on anyone.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by PhoenixGate

I contracted salmonella eight years ago after I quit my job at mcdonalds. I always cook my meat thoroughly at home, so when I got a follow up call with my diagnosis (which was obtained from a stool sample) I tracked it back to that last meal. That particular store reset all the timers on the trays that kept the cooked patties warm, and the patties were always cooked medium. It was about two weeks of absolutely not fun. I spent a lot of time playing my playstation 2 at the time.

---

Do people even have PS2s anymore hahaha... me, so far my time has been spent arguing with my new boss (apparently I am unreliable, not sick to them. Even my doctors note doesn't work in this system apparently) and a lot of anime and BP.net forums ;) It literally hurts to move.

The really sucky part is that after the symptoms go away you're still contagious for 3 months; that's why they ask about it if you're applying for a food servers card.I moved in with my brother about two months after I recovered, we slipped up once on who drank out of what glass and he got infected too. So be careful who you share drinks with in the next few months.

You may very well have contracted it from the snake. All you had to do was touch something before washing your hands that would hold the bacteria long enough to contaminate your hands again. All I can say is that I worked in the biology lab of my college while I was going for my aa degree and regularly took care of the beardie there as well as the snakes in my home. I was very careful not to touch my eyes, nose or mouth before washing my hands and I was ok. I'm guessing you got infected exactly how you think you did. Not touching your face while wearing gloves (or while handling reptiles) is one of the hardest habits to break.

And hey, I love brussel sprouts and asparagus too! I love sauteeing brussel sprouts in butter until they're tender.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BCS

Do people even have PS2s anymore hahaha... me, so far my time has been spent arguing with my new boss (apparently I am unreliable, not sick to them. Even my doctors note doesn't work in this system apparently) and a lot of anime and BP.net forums ;) It literally hurts to move.

---

Ouch, sorry to hear that. Yeah this was back in 2007, so that's what I had lol was a ps2. I got lucky and I never hurt that much, I just felt achy and really, really sick. Plus really disgusting things involving the bathroom. Worst two weeks ever.

Are you serious, I'm contagious!? I thought salmonella was a bacterial infection from food to humans or animal to humans. Not humans to humans! The doctors NEVER told me that and I have three small kids! OMG. I even researched this yesterday on Mayo Clinic and it never said anything about it either. Are you being serious?

Yup... human to human. Usually fecal to oral transmission.

Yes, I'm not sure how or why (still suspicious of the contaminated glass, he swears that's how he got it) but yes I did infect my brother well after recovering.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by PhoenixGate

Yes, I'm not sure how or why (still suspicious of the contaminated glass, he swears that's how he got it) but yes I did infect my brother well after recovering.

---

Okay thanks, I will be careful. Thanks a bunch. Yeah, seems like a lot of people are affected by it differently (to a degree). I have sever abdominal pains (yes bathroom visits are frequent) but the pains is what is bothering me the most. Just getting up to get a glass of water kills and I have no appetite which is making it hard to eat anything.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BCS

Okay thanks, I will be careful. Thanks a bunch. Yeah, seems like a lot of people are affected by it differently (to a degree). I have sever abdominal pains (yes bathroom visits are frequent) but the pains is what is bothering me the most. Just getting up to get a glass of water kills and I have no appetite which is making it hard to eat anything.

---

I'm sorry it's hitting you so hard, especially with kids in the house. I can't remember if my appetite was effected, since I was 18 at the time and a lot of my memories from around then are disjointed or lacking in a few details.

I just texted my brother to check and he said he definitely drank out of the wrong water bottle (we forgot to label them). So potentially you could pass it on to other people by any fluid transfer for the next few months. How long you're contagious varies from person to person.

Do you raise your own feeder animals, (rats or mice) as they can be carriers too?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rlditmars

Do you raise your own feeder animals, (rats or mice) as they can be carriers too?

---

I did not know they could be and yes, I breed ASFs. I do not handle them as much as my snakes though, but I clean their cages every Wednesday unless they had a litter over night, then I will wait till the next Wednesday. Of course giving food and water as needed. Thank you for letting me know. I also have cats and dogs, poop scooping out side and kitty litter... can they be carriers. I wash my hands of course after every animal chore I do but still, it seems like anything and anyone can be a carrier. I mean, I could have went shopping, grabbed a cart, touched my face and got it from the last person who used that cart... I am almost starting to doubt it was my snakes at this point.

Since it lies in the intestinal tract, I think it would only be spread from something that has been contaminated by feces from an infect person. Here is something I was able to find about person to person transmission.

"Person-to-person spread

People with salmonellosis have Salmonella bacteria in their faeces. If they do not wash their hands properly after going to the toilet, then contaminated hands can spread the bacteria to surfaces and objects which may be touched by other people. Contaminated hands can also spread the bacteria to food which may be eaten by other people.

Hands can also become contaminated with bacteria when a person changes the nappy of an infected infant. People and animals can carry Salmonella in their faeces without having any symptoms. These people and animals can still pass the disease on to others."

When I was in the Medical field, one of the companies I worked for ran some very interesting bacteria tests in public restaurants.

The number one place in restaurants where feces and urine traces are found are NOT in the bathroom. The number one place is the MINT BOWL next to the cash register! :tears: :puke:

That's why I never take any mints. :colbert:

Also can get it from eating undercooked eggs usually from backyard flocks which people often do not test for salmonella in their layers.

You can get it from so many other things besides a snake.

:O this has doubled my need to never, ever get salmonella.... this after my girl decided to pee alllll over me tonight.... It was so bad I just took a full shower. Tasty.... You have my condolences and thoughts OP, this sucks, especially with little ones to look after, not to mention your kids :P. It is true that statistically you are way more likely to get it from food than a pet. And from the snakes (at least this is how I view it, someone can feel free to correct me) it lives in their digestive tract. So if they have clean bedding and haven't played in their poo... You should be OK. I always wipe my girl down after I clean up a bowel movement and spot clean and deep clean accordingly. It sounds like you are super careful, so I doubt it was snake's fault. Good luck feeling better! I hope it passes swiftly :gj: