Salmonella: contagious reptiles

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MunichWhether turtle or snake - reptiles are popular as roommates. Very few keepers know, however, that salmonella often colonize the scaly bodies. Infection can be dangerous and even fatal, especially for young children. French scientists warn that the children do not even have to have direct contact with the animals to become infected.

Suspicious strains of salmonella

In 2012, more than 2,500 children under the age of five were infected with salmonella. For the study, the researchers around Mélanie Colomb-Cotinat from the Institut de veille sanitaire in Saint-Maurice selected 41 cases in which the salmonella was more likely to come from reptiles. This was particularly the case when medical examinations had identified strains of Salmonella, which are common in reptiles, or where the parents had stated on a questionnaire that they kept reptiles.

Every third infection by reptiles

In discussions with the parents, the researchers found that 13 of the infected children were clearly infected through reptiles in the household - that is a third of the cases. Two of the illnesses were particularly severe. The children not only suffered from diarrhea, but also developed meningitis.

Of all 13 children infected by reptiles, only one had direct contact with the animals. Other possible routes of transmission are contact with family members who have previously touched the reptiles. Transmission via the air is also not ruled out. In none of the cases were the reptiles allowed to move freely in the apartment. In six cases the infection came from turtles. Other families kept lizards, iguanas and snakes.

Unknown danger

Most reptile owners are apparently unaware of the risk of salmonella infection. In the 13 cases in which the children were infected by reptiles, only one pair of parents stated that they knew of a possible infection via turtles and the like.

The study shows that Salmonella infections caused by reptiles in children are particularly often associated with dangerous complications. Of the more than 2500 infected children in 2012, only four developed meningitis. Two of these cases involved children included in the study who were infected by reptiles.

"Various publications have shown that very young children in particular can easily become infected with salmonella through reptiles," the researchers write. In the French study, too, 85 percent of the children examined were younger than one year. (cf)

Source: Mélanie Colomb-Cotinat Salmonelloses chez des jeunes enfants et exposition aux reptiles domestiques: investigation en France métropolitaine en 2012, Bulletin épidémiologique hebdomadaire, 05.07.2013

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