B
Bluetongue1
Guest
Jack is correct.
Salmonella can occur in the gastro-intestinal tract of snakes, lizards, turtles and amphibians. [No more looking for princes, ladies]. It can also occur in the intestines of birds and mammals. In the States, reptile -borne salmonella accounts for around 5 % of salmonella infections and 95% of those are due to Green Iguanas and Red-eared Sliders. So the chance of contracting it from other reptile species is miniscule (as Jack said). You have a significantly greater chance of getting it from food that was not prepared properly – chicken, eggs, meat, fish.
Given that, if present, it is passed out with faeces, either direct or indirect contact with faecal matter and your lips could result in oral ingestion, resulting in infection. Fortunately snakes do not tend to crawl through the own wastes (as a general rule). So the risk is very minimal and can be eliminated entirely with good hygiene. You probably have more chance of coming to grief in a car.
Young children, the elderly and those that are inmunosuppressed are especially vulnerable to salmonellosis as it can result in both septicaemia and meningitis, either of which can be fatal.
Blue
Additional Note: Just to put things into perspective. Salmonella bacteria have been found to occur not infrequently in packaged meats in supermarkets.
Salmonella can occur in the gastro-intestinal tract of snakes, lizards, turtles and amphibians. [No more looking for princes, ladies]. It can also occur in the intestines of birds and mammals. In the States, reptile -borne salmonella accounts for around 5 % of salmonella infections and 95% of those are due to Green Iguanas and Red-eared Sliders. So the chance of contracting it from other reptile species is miniscule (as Jack said). You have a significantly greater chance of getting it from food that was not prepared properly – chicken, eggs, meat, fish.
Given that, if present, it is passed out with faeces, either direct or indirect contact with faecal matter and your lips could result in oral ingestion, resulting in infection. Fortunately snakes do not tend to crawl through the own wastes (as a general rule). So the risk is very minimal and can be eliminated entirely with good hygiene. You probably have more chance of coming to grief in a car.
Young children, the elderly and those that are inmunosuppressed are especially vulnerable to salmonellosis as it can result in both septicaemia and meningitis, either of which can be fatal.
Blue
Additional Note: Just to put things into perspective. Salmonella bacteria have been found to occur not infrequently in packaged meats in supermarkets.
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