Background InformationSalmonellosis is by no means a new disease. It’s potential to cause disease has been recognized since 1946. Salmonella is a gram negative flagellated rod. In addition, it is a facultative anaerobe. Salmonella is a very stable organism. It is capable of remaining virulent for several months to years depending on the medium in which it is living.(Table 1)
Medium Length of virulence
There are about 2,000 serotypes of salmonella, of which 200 have been isolated from reptiles. Of the 200 types seen in reptiles, only a few have been known to be involved in reptile zoonosis.
TransmissionTransmission of salmonella is through the fecal-oral route for the most part. In the case of turtles, eggs laid in contaminated soil may be infected by the passage of the organism through the shell. Another point to take note of is that direct contact with infected reptiles or their fecal material is not needed to become infected. Contact with individuals who have had contact with infected reptiles or the infected reptiles cage material may be all that is needed to become infected.
Clinical SignsYou may be wondering, “How do I know if my pet reptile has Salmonella?” Unfortunately infected reptiles usually show no signs of disease. Occasionally they may become anorexic, lethargic, have diarrhea, or they may suddenly die. Fecal testing is often unrewarding. Several samples may have to be taken over several months to turn up a positive result. The problem is that negative results cannot be regarded as truly negative because the organism can undergo periods of latency. For this reason, it is almost impossible to say with 100% certainty an animal is free of salmonella.
In contrast to reptiles infected with salmonella, humans more often show very severe signs of infection. Common signs often exhibited by humans are: gastroenteritis, profuse diarrhea, sometimes bloody diarrhea, cramps, vomiting, fever, abdominal pain, dehydration, dermatitis, red rash, and septicemia. In some cases, it may lead to more severe diseases such as osteomylitis, encephalitis, and meningitis, Death is always a potential out come. Individuals diagnosed with salmonella must be reported to the Public Health Department, and carriers must be registered with the Public Health Department even after hospital discharge.
Individual that are at greater risk of infections include:
TreatmentTreatment of salmonella infected reptiles is not recommended because in most cases the animal simply stops shedding the organism until antibiotics are stopped. Similarly treatment of salmonella in humans is not warranted unless it becomes life threatening. The reason for this is that treatment may lead to individuals becoming carriers. Also, misuse of antibiotics has lead to development of antibiotic resistant strains of salmonella in both humans and reptiles. Because treatment is not recommended in all cases and is not successful in all cases prevention of salmonellosis has been the main area of focus.
PreventionPrevention of salmonella is relatively easy and usually requires little time commitment. The first and probably the most important thing to do is was your hands with antibacterial soap and water after handling reptiles or their cage materials. Avoid washing cage materials or placing reptiles in areas were food is to be prepared or eaten. Do not let young children to handle reptiles unsupervised and teach them to wash their hand after the do handle reptiles. Keep reptile cages/enclosures and accessories clean. Try to avoid splashing water when cleaning or wear eye and face protection if splashing is unavoidable. Individuals in the high risk category should avoid contact with reptiles. Overall, the main point that should be taken for prevention of salmonella, is adhere to good hygiene. Also, keep in mind that reptiles are not the only source of salmonella. Other animals carry it such as dogs, cows, horses and chickens. Raw chicken and other uncooked meats serve as a greater risk than do reptiles. So, care to adherence of proper hygiene should be followed when dealing with these animals and food products, as well as, when dealing with reptiles. |