Salmonella and children under 5

[zeion97]

I didn't read every reply... but the truth of salmonella is... if you're clean it won't happen. The only real way you're going to contract salmonella is if you have a snake with a RI who's slobbering and you don't wash afterwards, or if you drink water from there water bowl.. like I've stated many times you have a better chance of getting salmonella from snakes then from raw eggs, BUT both are easily.prevented. the truth is you have a better chance from raw chicken then your snake. Just don't let the kids drink the water and you'll be fine. my step-son still hasn't caught salmonella neither has either of my brothers.. I personally feel like the whole salmonella thing is drastically over speculated in snakes...

[Egapal]

I was just reading a web page on reptile keeping and salmonella. It stated that reptiles should be removed completlyfrom the house if a baby or a child under 5 is living in the house.

I am due to have a new born baby any time soon. I researched before hand and i read that as long as you anti bac your hands after handeling and keep all items related to the snakes away the risk of contaminstion is minmal. This site has made me think twice now.

My snakes are kept in tubs in one corner of my living room.

Any thoughts on this? Or will i have to sell my two snakes?

Forget salmonella you should sell them because they will eat your new baby. Oh wait that's hysterical nonsense. There is a strong push to keep children away from hot dogs too because they are choking hazards. When you look at the odds of having an issue and compare it to all the other things with the same odds you will find that it comes down to not being able to protect your child from everything. More importantly there are negative consequences to being over protective. Just wash your hands more often. Don't let the baby play with the snakes. Problem solved.

[heathers*bps]

I have 3 children ( 4, 11, and 12 ) and reptiles have been in this house for 8-9 years. My 4 year old has her own snakes, feeds them, cleans them and is the sole caretaker of them and we've never had any issues if salmonella.
We dont use anti bacterial soap very often or hand sanitary stuff very often, as they don't let your immunity build up. My children are hardly sick, with clean bills of health and like said, have never had salmonella

[Salamander Rising]

i kept snakes and other reptiles through 2 pregnancies. Neither child ever contracted salmonella, and both were remarkably healthy as infants, not even an ear infection until after they were weaned.

saying that you should remove all reptiles from your house is like saying you should never bring a raw chicken into your house. The chicken poses a greater threat of salmonella contamination. The cdc's stance on pets is, and always has been, ridiculous.

Too much cleaning and disinfecting doesn't keep people healthier, it stunts the development of the immune system, and makes people delicate and susceptible to infections. This is why advice is shifting away from telling people to use anti bacterial soap and spray everything with lysol, to telling people to clean with ordinary soap and water.

The only way your offspring will risk contracting salmonella from your snakes is if they put the snakes in their mouth, or eat the bedding. I trust you can prevent that, lol. If you want added protection, wipe the outsides of the enclosures down with chlorox wipes, and keep all equipment up out of reach, and enclosures locked.

My kids were occasionally allowed to touch the snakes as young as age two, with my careful supervision, and immediate hand-washing afterward. Last year, they were awarded their own snakes to name, handle occasionally, and feed. (my daughter just turned 8). They grew up understanding that they had to wash their hands after handling a reptile or reptile equipment. No one's ever gotten salmonella from a reptile, here. :p

your children will find things hidden under the couch cushions or dug out from the corner of a carpet that would make your hair turn white, and they will put those things into their mouths for you to fish out later. Trust me, the snakes are not a worry.

xxxxxx 10!

[blueberrypancakes]

Forget salmonella you should sell them because they will eat your new baby. Oh wait that's hysterical nonsense.

Perfect!

We're trying to conceive while I am planning for new snakes. I don't plan on getting rid of mine at all! Just ordered my custom built snake rack!

[wilomn]

When my offspring were first brought into this world I was still in the retail reptile business with my own store. At one point I had thousands of snakes, lizards, and other creatures.

Never had a single problem. They were in and out of cages, handled the animals from the time they were old enough to want to and helped as much as they could with as much as I'd let them.

Still got them all. Still all healthy. Been over 20 years now.

[Melody]

If you're a responsible parent and keep up on taking care of the snakes and being sure the child can't get a hold of them without you watching, and making sure your kids wash their hands if they do handle them, I think it's ridiculous to sell your snakes due to a new baby. My son is now 5 years old, and he always washes his hands when he handles the snakes (with my supervision). Honestly, the risk is only there if you allow it to be.

Keeping your snakes when your having a baby does not make you a bad parent either, don't let anyone make you think that. People are going to have their opinions, but as long as you are in control of the situation at home then they can shove it

I live in a house with small children as we speak and I always make sure theyre cleaned and I dont not let the children hold them without me watching and I always make sure they wash their little hands after they do hold them. Never had a problem.

[Crazy4Herps]

Salmonella is found in snakes' intestines, not on their skin, so making sure the cages stay clean and the snakes aren't sitting in their own poop reduces the risk by a lot.

[WingedWolfPsion]

It does, but if they crawl through their poop, they will have salmonella on their skin--so unless you wash them with soap and water (not recommended), it's best to wash your hands after handling them, lol.

[The Mad Baller]

I have 3 children 2,4,and 5. I have kept reptiles, lizards,frogs,tortoise,snakes throughout all their life's from birth until now with absolutely no incidents. When they handle a reptile they wash their hands and that's it. But I'm one of those guys that don't believe in all that medicine,antibiotics, antibacterial soap for every little thing. I live on property and my kids are always playing in the mud and sand and woods, digging up worms, playing with the goat, chickens, rabbits, etc and the honest truth my 5 year old hasn't been to the doctors for any sickness in over 3 years, my 4 yr old hasn't been in over 2, an amazingly my 2 yr old girl who is a little animal lover an tomboy has never been for any sickness what so ever only for vaccinations and such!!