Tarantulas and Human Disease

[Lyle Beach]

I have the flu right now, and I was just wondering...

Is it possible that I could pass something on to my T's by handling their food (crickets) or by touching the water dishes (to refill), or by cleaning the substrate? :?

I hope this isn't a stupid question, But i sure don't want to pass something on to my T's that would be potentialy dangerous.

My instincts would say that human germs would not be able to be passed to inverts, but who knows? Do you?

Thanks in advance!

Lyle

 

[metzgerzoo]

I would think that it wouldn't...unless of course you have mites, parasites or nematodes (sp?) stashed in your pocket

 

[cricket54]

I think that humans can't pass diseases onto tarantulas, but the can pass colds and the flu viruses onto ferrets. I ferret that catches a cold from its human is a sad sight because there isn't any cold med., but maybe benedryl, that is safe for them. They just sneeze and sneeze. Older ferrets die from the flu. I wonder if pet birds, parrots and such catch colds from people too?

Sharon

 

[Code Monkey]

I would wager the odds of a virus affecting both a mammalian primate and a theraphosid to be e-x-t-r-e-m-e-l-y slim. Such interspecies interactions are rare although they exist (but with things a little closer on the evolutionary family tree). For instance, if you had ferrets, they can catch some human cold/flus.

 

[mebebraz]

imagine a t sneeze, poke two holes right in the bottom of the kk....

 

[Nerri1029]

imagine a t sneeze, poke two holes right in the bottom of the kk....

" HEY your OBT has a runny nose.."
" I know .. but I'M NOT WIPING IT .. YOU DO IT!!"


But seriously .. viruses that affect multiple species aree rare.. and like CM said one that would affect a T and a human probably even harder to find than the winning powerball ticket.. if they exist at all

BUT i'd like to add...
Bacterial infections ( streptococcus, staphylococcus etc.) have no speces barrier most are oportunistic... though I'm not familiar with any that might attack a T.

 

[shogun804]

i doubt it....im not seeing it there is no way to prove that a T could get the same sickness as a human....but everyone can be proven wrong...so that being sad its only my opinion

 

[Leiurus87]

Nope. Were just too different. Now, a bacteria as earlier stated or maybe a highly adaptive human parasite might be able, but its horribly swim. Ferrets, Cats , Dogs,pigs, and some types of fowl can catch certain strains of the flu bu thats about it. Cats rarley if ever get the flu.

 

[Cthulhu1254]

Definately not. It's possible that you could carry a disease that could affect a tarantula, but anything that affects you will not affect Fluffy. There are some bacteria that aren't too picky, but viruses like the influenza stay in their prefered phylum.