I know I'm just adding more hearsay to the pile, but I've read that snakes carry salmonella 90% of the time and lizards are 75%. My kids handle all of the reptiles AND clean up feces for "their" particular pets. We practice good handwashing and talk about crosscontamination, but I don't freak out. Either way, most cases of salmonella go away on their own and don't require a doctor visit. You make sure you are keeping your own gut flora up and you probably have nothing to worry about anyway! Probiotics FTW!!