do ball pythons carry staph?

[Sean Brown]

i have staph my mom thinks it might by my ball python jake. can you help ? he is healthy

[Aes_Sidhe]

I dont really think so that is your ball python.

Quote from Wikipedia:
Members of the genus Staphylococcus frequently colonize the skin and upper respiratory tracts of mammals and birds. Some species specificity has been observed in host range, such that the Staphylococcus species observed on some animals appear more rarely on more distantly related host species.[11] Some of the observed host specificity includes:

S. arlattae - chickens, goats
S. auricularis - deer, dogs, humans
S. capitis - humans
S. caprae - goats, humans
S. cohnii - chickens, humans
S. delphini - dolphins
S. devriesei - cattle
S. epidermiditis - humans
S. equorum - horses
S. felis - cats
S. fleurettii - goats
S. gallinarum - chicken, goats, pheasants
S. haemolyticus - humans, Cercocebus, Erythrocebus, Lemur, Macca, Microcebus, Pan
S. hyicus - pigs
S. leei - humans
S. lentus - goats, rabbits, sheep
S. lugdunensis - humans, goats
S. lutrae - otters
S. microti - voles (Microtus arvalis)
S. nepalensis - goats
S. pasteuri - humans, goats
S. pettenkoferi - humans
S. pseudintermedius - dogs
S. rostri - pigs
S. schleiferi - humans
S. sciuri - humans, dogs, goats
S. simiae - South American squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus)
S. simulans - humans
S. warneri - humans, Cercopithecoidea, Pongidae
S. xylosus - humans

[llovelace]

Staphylococcus epidermidis is one of thirty-three known species belonging to the genus Staphylococcus. It is part of our skin flora(commensal), and consequently part of human flora.

[Skittles1101]

According to this:
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Reptiles-704/pet-snakes.htm

Some reptiles can carry staph in their mouths and digestive tract, however, I'm more prone to think you got it from shaking someone's hand or pushing the grocery cart than from your snake.

[Redneck_Crow]

Just about every household surface carries staph to some degree.

[Jessica Loesch]

Staphylococcus epidermidis is one of thirty-three known species belonging to the genus Staphylococcus. It is part of our skin flora(commensal), and consequently part of human flora.

Ilovelace is right. Humans already are carriers. A lot of them are and some of them react but not all.

From force health
"Staphylococcus aureus, often referred to simply as "staph," are bacteria many people carry on the skin or in the nose and have always been with us. Normal staph bacteria sometimes cause mild, easily controlled skin infections. Most of these infections are minor, appearing as pimples and boils, and are treated without antibiotics, typically being drained by a healthcare provider. If you have staph on your skin or in your nose but aren't sick, you are said to be a carrier, but not infected. Those who are carriers of the staph bacteria are capable of transmitting it to others."

15-40% of healthy humans are carriers. Maybe SHE gave it to you.

[Homegrownscales]

No I don't think it's the ball. But it could be another family member. When one has staph it's important to have all those close to you tested to see if they may be an asympotomatic carrier. My boyfriend kept getting a reoccurring case of staph. From the doctors request I had a qtip stuffed up my nose to see of possibly I was the one carrying the infection. I had no syptoms whatsoever. I tested negative and we moved on. Every day I had to change our sheets entirely, bleach anything he touched, and he had to wear pants and long sleeved shirts to bed. Both of us were tired and uncomfortable. Staph can live for quite awhile on things like makeup, clothes worn daily without washing, items used daily. The smallest lesion, cut or pin prick allows it in your system. Also a big thing that the doc was telling us is since its carried in the nose, blowing or picking your nose and not washing hands. Ya I know gross helps spread staph in to your body.
Micheal had to use a special soap daily called hibiclense to help keep the staph infection away. Come to find out he kept getting it from his work waist tool bag thing. Hes a carpenter so he has to wear the waist tool bag daily and as soon as we got one that could be cleaned And disinfected he hasn't had an issue since.
Just my experiences with my boyfriends year long staph battle. It was horrible.


Check out what's new on my website... www.Homegrownscales.com

[sgath92]

i have staph my mom thinks it might by my ball python jake. can you help ? he is healthy

What kind of staph is it?

The super bug staphs that everyone talks about are normally found at places of human activity because humans created them by over using antibiotics [and the like]. Originally super bug staphs were something you were most likely to pick up in hospitals but now they're all over our prisons, schools, subways, even sometimes our beaches.

[angllady2]

Unless you make it a habit to lick your snake, I sincerely doubt you got it from your snake.

There are thousands of places and ways to get it on a daily basis, and your snake is pretty low on the list. It's only been a few years since there was a bad outbreak that got traced to contaminated spinach of all things. I'd point the blame at pretty much everything BUT your snake.

Gale

[oliverstwist]

Its all over. So is mrsa apparently. According to my from. I had a huge battle with it. It started a six month three surgery ordeal. Thank mrsa for costing 20k in Co pays! *thumbs up*

I also doubt its the snake