Ever gotten Salmonella from your reptiles?

[Chocolate Muffin's]

I am personally an absolute FREAK about germs and Salmonella is on my hot list! I clean my cages 3-4per week with Lysol Institutional spray for Hospitals and I always wash and sanitize before and after touching my snakes....In the spirit of full disclosure, I do have a germ & illness phobia. A great deal of thought went into my getting my beloved snakes because I likened Salmonella to brining a demon into my home. I'm really a freak about germs; I'm a weirdo I guess but my snakes are fabulous and appreciate their immaculate and beautiful homes.

[Raptor]

I am personally an absolute FREAK about germs and Salmonella is on my hot list! I clean my cages 3-4per week with Lysol Institutional spray for Hospitals and I always wash and sanitize before and after touching my snakes....In the spirit of full disclosure, I do have a germ & illness phobia. A great deal of thought went into my getting my beloved snakes because I likened Salmonella to brining a demon into my home. I'm really a freak about germs; I'm a weirdo I guess but my snakes are fabulous and appreciate their immaculate and beautiful homes.

Using a lot of sanitizer isn't that great. That's how you get resistant strains of illnesses.

[Chocolate Muffin's]

Using a lot of sanitizer isn't that great. That's how you get resistant strains of illnesses.

So far they have been very healthy. I had them tested for Salmonella and the test came back negative, but the lab said I could do a zillion more and then get a positive, so I just assume that there is always that bacteria. Maybe I could change up what I use, but I still think I need something that kills viruses and bacteria. What do you use to sanitize yours?

[SiscoReptiles]

I have a friend who's granddaughter and a friend of hers who had just gone through surgery both caught salmonella at her house which came from her herp room. She actually had a local disease control group come over and test the surfaces in her room and they were able to culture the same bacteria strain from some of those surfaces that was infecting the two people. She's really not that big of a snake keeper and is more of a lizard person and had a number of monitors at the time. But yes, it's not a rumor. People really can get salmonella from their reptiles. I don't think it's nearly as common as the CDC would like you to believe, but it is possible.

I'd bet ten to one that those monitors were fed raw meat, chicken perhaps. And as we all know, raw meat can cause salmonella.

Just something further to think about.

So, did the lizards expose her or did she expose them?

Rick

[WingedWolfPsion]

Consumer Reports just did more testing of chicken, and the rates of Salmonella and Campylobacter in chicken are still insane. The percentages are over 50% with many brands. That is, half of all the birds on the shelves are contaminated with Salmonella or Campylobacter, many with both.

Chicken is your #1 source for salmonella bacteria. Treat raw chicken like the biohazardous material it actually is, and make sure you cook it to the proper internal temperature, and you'll be fine. Your snakes are a far less likely source of contagion. Oh, and don't feed them chicken.

[WingedWolfPsion]

<--- Chronic Fatige and Fibro.

Never had mono. Sure there is a connection?

There are many possible triggers, Mono is one of them. I have CFS as well. I believe it was triggered by a Tetanus booster shot.
They found genetic markers for it a few years ago. It's believed now to be a problem with the way the body handles stress responses.

[Raptor]

So far they have been very healthy. I had them tested for Salmonella and the test came back negative, but the lab said I could do a zillion more and then get a positive, so I just assume that there is always that bacteria. Maybe I could change up what I use, but I still think I need something that kills viruses and bacteria. What do you use to sanitize yours?

Watered down bleach with a bit of dove soap in it. Same stuff I use to wash goat teats with when I milk. I don't worry about bacteria and viruses. I was my hands after I mess with my reptiles and that's it.

[Wretched Deviant]

I've had a Bearded Dragon for two years now and recently got Leopard Geckos, Ball Pythons, a Boa, and a Tegu. Even if I wasn't real careful and washed my hands after handling any of them I've never had any problem and I'm someone with a bad immune system. No to mention my tegu eats raw meat and is usually fed in my bathroom or kitchen, but if people follow good hygiene with their herps I don't think there should really be much of a problem. I always wipe down all surfaces after preparing my tegu's meals and then throw the washcloth or whatever away or in the washing machine. I recently got a power/steam washer to clean out my enclosures...

[Bhikku]

I wash my hands every time I handle my snake, both before and afterwards. Partly this is to protect me from salmonella, but it's also to protect my snake from any nicotine residue that might be on my hands from smoking.

[mainbutter]

I am personally an absolute FREAK about germs and Salmonella is on my hot list! I clean my cages 3-4per week with Lysol Institutional spray for Hospitals and I always wash and sanitize before and after touching my snakes....In the spirit of full disclosure, I do have a germ & illness phobia. A great deal of thought went into my getting my beloved snakes because I likened Salmonella to brining a demon into my home. I'm really a freak about germs; I'm a weirdo I guess but my snakes are fabulous and appreciate their immaculate and beautiful homes.

Yes you're a freak.