New Article: Salmonella Prevention – Guidelines for Reptile& Amphibian Owners

[findi]

Hi All,
Zoonotic diseases (those that can pass from animals to people) such Salmonella bacteria infections are a potential concern in the keeping of any pet. Many people associate Salmonella with reptiles, but nearly any animal, including dogs, cats and birds, may harbor this troublesome micro-organism. Read article here: http://blogs.thatpetplace.com/thatr...-guidelines-for-reptile-and-amphibian-owners/
Comments and questions appreciated.

Thanks, Frank

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[The Snark]

I am a little confused by this thread. I do not downplay the seriousness of Salmonella but it is only one of quite a few bacterial hazards for people keeping animals. I would suggest that this be redirected towards general animal keeping hazards and the keeping of anything animal and food preparation separated by the normal protocols. IE, hand washing, proper food preparation, avoiding cross contamination and so forth. Food born enteritis from Salmonella, the most common form of infection from that bacterium, is only one of several usually food born bacteria, along with E-coli, Campylobacter, Clostridium and Listeria making up the lions share of infections. Additionally, Staph and friends should also be taken into account in animal care and keeping, just as prevalent and with their own set of protocols to prevent infection.

I would mention, as I have on this board in the past, that while bleach use as the article mentioned prescribes is reasonably effective, common household bleach, 2%-5% sodium hypochlorite, will dry into a mildly caustic and toxic salt which can harm sensitive animals. Care and caution is always advised when using sterilizing agents.

I'll add my qualifications here: Biomedical Engineer, in charge of hospital infection control for 4 years.

 

[lizardminion]

My question is, if you just gave a pet snake a good bath, would it be clean until it is put back in its enclosure? (or until it pooped while outside it's enclosure and got the mess on it)

 

[The Snark]

My question is, if you just gave a pet snake a good bath, would it be clean until it is put back in its enclosure? (or until it pooped while outside it's enclosure and got the mess on it)

In a word, no. The rule of thumb is, when a person changes environments, you wash your hands thoroughly. Everything is contaminated with bacteria, always. A simple thorough hand washing reduces the bacterial population by 90%+. Under normal circumstances that is enough to avoid common infections. When the environment you leave is known hazardous, such as feces has been present at one time though it may not be now, assume your hands are covered in the worst case scenario and act accordingly. When entering a bacterial transmission environment such as a food preparation area, you wash again.

Virtually all people eat and drink salmonella and other dangerous or deadly bacteria every day. The bacterial population is simply low enough that your body resists a population explosion. You can never realize a fully safe, sterile environment. You are simply reducing the bacterial count low enough to move the odds in your favor.

When it comes to bacteria, never assume. The 'I just washed so I am safe' or just washed the snake, may be true and probably is good enough for a normal home environment. However, keeping any animal, even under the most strictly clean circumstances, is keeping a bacterial breeding station and the animal never follows contamination prevention protocols.

 

[findi]

Hi, Thanks for your interest and useful comments. Other than a brief mention of "other zoonotic diseases", the article was meant to address Salmonella alone as it is very much in the news here in the USA, and is responsible for more diagnosed infections than others. Articles written by myself and others, addressing micobacteria and a variety of other zoonotics, are linked under "Further reading". Best regards, Frank

 

[The Snark]

Hi, Thanks for your interest and useful comments. Other than a brief mention of "other zoonotic diseases", the article was meant to address Salmonella alone as it is very much in the news here in the USA, and is responsible for more diagnosed infections than others. Articles written by myself and others, addressing micobacteria and a variety of other zoonotics, are linked under "Further reading". Best regards, Frank

Sadly, thanks to the utterly an*l industrial food production habits of mega coorporations, that being massive doses of antibiotics without need or reason, has caused Campylobacter to rocket past Salmonella. What is absolutely wonderful is C. Jejuni comes straight from the factory highly drug resistant. It is as if the food industry has become a deliberate intentional vector in this perfect zoonotic storm. If C. Jejuni becomes as lethal as enteric Salmonella....

 

[findi]

Thanks... terrible problems here with resistant microbes in hospitals as well. Re Salmonella being most commonly diagnosed, I was referring to infections arising via pet herps, best, Frank

 

[The Snark]

Thanks... terrible problems here with resistant microbes in hospitals as well. Re Salmonella being most commonly diagnosed, I was referring to infections arising via pet herps, best, Frank

Let me give you a trick I implemented in a hospital and would be very effective with herps or any other animal keeping. Citric acid.
We had several rampant infections in the hospital. I ordered 1000 lbs of food grade citric acid. (In bulk quantity the stuff is dirt cheap.) I first put a 40 gallon tub of the solution, 2 lbs acid to 40 gallons water, in dietary as a pre rinse. The floor then implemented a pre rinse at the nurses station and so on. There are a lot of things that you don't want the toxic sterilizing agents on, like food dishes. In the hospital there are loads of things that go from patient to patient without being sterilized like clip boards and stethoscopes. What can get wet, give it an acid bath dip then rinse.

The stuff is actually a little more effective than bleach as it is wetter and rinsed off, even if there is some residue, it is basically harmless. We had the path lab culture all sorts of stuff and the citric acid rinse proved equally as effective as Vesphene(tm)

AND... the very latest use for citric acid---> pink slime! Instead of that ammonia crap the food processors are switching to citric acid baths. AKA McDouche

 

[dtknow]

I guess the most commonly raised question is whether or not herps pose a more serious risk of contracting a serious zoonose than other pets.

 

[The Snark]

I guess the most commonly raised question is whether or not herps pose a more serious risk of contracting a serious zoonose than other pets.

Very good question. Has there been a study done? Would people like to weigh in with their knowledge?

 

[Louise E. Rothstein]

Disease problems are seldom a supposedly "bad" species' fault.
Filthy,overcrowded animals are likely to become "the worst species" whether they are herps or hamsters or human beings.
Since bacteria don't talk about whether they multiplied on their way to a pet owner's property...or upon the property...dumping (another) truckload of blame upon (another) "scapegoat" species is always easier to do than finding out what really went wrong.

However...In most cases...What DID go wrong is that human error gave bacteria far too much food.

Remember the proverb:

"Don't feed them-"

"Don't breed them."

 

[dtknow]

I would say the answer to the above question asked by me is yes.

Reptiles have higher carriage rates for salmonella than dogs etc. and a disproportionate number of cases have been linked to reptiles.