The zoonotic diseases associated with reptile and amphibian contact are primarily bacterial infections. These include Salmonella, Mycobacterium, Campylobacter, Aeromonas, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, Serratia and Flavobacterium meningosepticum.
Can you catch diseases from reptiles?
Reptiles and amphibians often carry Salmonella bacteria in their digestive tracts. Even healthy reptiles and amphibians can carry the bacteria. People can get sick from Salmonella bacteria through contact with reptiles, amphibians, or their environments, including water from their tanks or aquariums.
What diseases can humans get from lizards?
These animals frequently carry bacteria called Salmonella that can cause serious illness in people. Salmonella can spread by either direct or indirect contact with amphibians (e.g., frogs), reptiles (e.g., turtles, lizards or snakes) or their droppings.
What is the most common disease in reptiles?
Entamoeba invadens is the most serious disease-causing protozoan of reptiles. Signs of infection are loss of appetite and weight, vomiting, mucus-containing or bloody diarrhea, and death. The disease may spread quickly in large snake collections.
Can you get sick from touching a lizard?
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.
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