Alternative Pets

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that pet reptiles--including all types of lizards, snakes, and turtles--can be a source of life-threatening infections and do not belong in households with children under the age of five.

About 3 percent of U.S. households have reptiles, and with the growing popularity of these critters, health officials are concerned about a recent increase in reptile-related salmonella.

Although most cases of salmonella are caused by food contamination, reptiles account for about 93,000 cases of such illnesses each year, or about 7 percent of the total.

Reptiles carry salmonella in their digestive tract and frequently shed the bacteria in their feces. Stephanie Wong, a veterinarian with the CDC's Food-Borne and Diarrheal Diseases Branch, says, "There is no reliable way to test or treat your pet reptile for the bacteria. We feel there is no way to say that a reptile is salmonella-free."

Play it safe. To prevent the transmission of salmonella from reptiles to humans, the CDC recommends:

• Keep reptiles out of households with children under age five.
• Avoid contact with reptiles if you have a compromised immune system.
• Do not keep reptiles in childcare centers or preschools.
• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling reptiles or reptile cages.
• Do not bathe reptiles or wash their dishes, cages, or aquariums in the kitchen sink where contamination with food products is likely.
• If you use a bathtub for these purposes, disinfect the tub with bleach before using for human purposes.
• Do not allow pet reptiles to roam freely through your home.