“I have college students who come to class with their bearded dragon on their shoulder, which is probably not the most hygienic thing to do,” said Brian Todd, a conservationist at the University of California, Davis, who specializes in reptiles and amphibians and was not involved. with the study. “After you've handled one, you need to wash your hands, especially before preparing food or picking up your child.”
Bearded dragons are not the only source of reptile-borne outbreaks. Last year, more than two dozen people in 11 states became ill from salmonella linked to small turtles. That outbreak led to the hospitalization of nine people and prompted a CDC warning against allowing children under five to keep pet turtles.
(The sale of turtles smaller than four inches has been prohibited since 1975.)
The study published this week in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases used whole-genome genetic sequencing to determine the source of salmonella infections that sickened two infants in Ontario, Canada. Researchers determined that the illnesses were caused by salmonella vitkin, a rare strain that had not been detected in Canada or the United States before 2021.
Dr. Katherine Paphitis, an epidemiologist with Public Health Ontario and lead author of the study, said the discovery prompted health officials in both countries to join forces to determine its origins.
Dr. Paphitis said there are 2,500 serotypes of salmonella but only about 100 people get sick, and only a handful are responsible for most human infections. Older people, infants and those with weakened immune systems are especially vulnerable to serious illness, he said.
Sequencing the bacteria allowed Public Health Ontario researchers to link the two babies who had become ill. They discovered that every family had bearded dragons. With genetic fingerprints in hand, Canadian officials approached their CDC counterparts, who then identified a dozen cases of salmonella vitkin in the United States. Health officials in both countries warned pet stores and pet owners about the risks. “Do not kiss or snuggle your bearded dragon,” the CDC said, “and do not eat or drink near it.”
The response to the outbreak showed collaboration between health agencies, Dr. Paphitis said, and also helped spread vital information about bearded dragons that seemed to elude many owners.
“If you let them roam free,” he said, “maybe you don't let them up on your kitchen counter.”
