CDC links outbreak of rare salmonella to bearded dragons, lizards from Australia

By Mike Stobbe | The Associated Press
April 24 2014 12:32 PM

CP28120748 — FILE - In this July 22, 2013 file photo, a teenager holds his bearded dragon lizard before a discussion about herpetology at a park in Columbia, S.C. In a report released Thursday, April 24, 2014 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, bearded dragons have joined the list of pets that can give you salmonella poisoning. In the last two years, 132 people in 31 states have been infected with a rare form of salmonella bacteria. (AP Photo/The State, Gerry Melendez)

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Bearded dragons apparently have joined the list of pets that can give you salmonella poisoning.

In the last two years, 132 people in 31 states have been infected with a rare form of salmonella bacteria. About two dozen of the sick people said they’d handled bearded dragons — a popular lizard native to Australia that comes in several colours.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week issued a report on the outbreak. CDC officials warned owners should wash their hands thoroughly after handling the lizards and keep them out of the kitchen, sinks and bathtubs, and away from small children.

Other pets that carry the salmonella bug include frogs, toads, turtles, snakes, hedgehogs, chicks and ducklings.

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Online:

CDC report: http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/cotham-04-14/index.html

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