Turtles, frogs, iguanas, snakes, geckos, horned toads, salamanders and chameleons are colorful, quiet and often kept as pets. These animals frequently carry bacteria called Salmonella that can cause serious illness in people.
What diseases can you get from a pet snake?
4 Diseases Your Pet Reptile Can Give YouSalmonella. Salmonella are commonly found in all types of reptiles and can spread from reptiles to humans when something contaminated with reptile feces is placed in the mouth. ... Botulism. ... Campylobacteriosis. ... Leptospirosis.
Can you get a disease from holding a snake?
Therefore, simply touching or holding a reptiles will not result in spread of bacteria unless something contaminated with reptiles feces or the reptile itself is placed in the mouth. Most Salmonella infections in humans result in a mild, self-limiting illness characterized by diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps.
Can you get Salmonella from touching a snake?
For this reason, it is really important to thoroughly wash your hands after touching a snake, especially if you touch its poo. And it's worth wearing gloves if you regularly handle snakes. So, in short, yes you can catch salmonella from snakes, but only if you don't pay attention to proper hygiene!
Can you get sick from touching snake skin?
Handle with Care You should never pick up a snakeskin with your bare hands. This is because about 15 to 90 percent of snakes carry some Salmonella bacteria on their shed skins. Consequently, touching it with your bare skin places you at risk of a bacterial infection.
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