CDC: 2 More Salmonella Outbreaks, This Time Hedgehogs And Bearded Dragons Are Culprits

A man, a hedgehog, and a bearded dragon walk into a bar. The man then gets a Salmonella infection.

That’s not the best version of the classic bar joke, but it is a possibility if you get too close to either a hedgehog or a bearded dragon. Hedgehogs have now stuck America with yet another Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak. It’s resulted in 32 reported cases and five hospitalizations in 17 states so far, according to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC). At the same time, bearded dragons have tipped the scales with a Salmonella Muenster outbreak. This second outbreak has left at least 13 people sick with seven hospitalizations in 13 states, as the CDC described.

If you are a hedgehog fund manager or anyone else who follows hedgehogs, you may realize that this ain’t the first time that the prickly ones have caused such a situation. Just last year, I covered for Forbes a previous hedgehog-induced Salmonella outbreak that eventually sickened at least 54 people across 23 states. The last time the CDC reported a bearded dragon-related Salmonella outbreak was back in 2014.

Hedgehogs and bearded dragons are quite different from each other. But the precautions you should take around them are similar. Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly when touching, feeding, or playing beer pong with your hedgehog or bearded dragon. Be careful around them because anything they touch may be contaminated with Salmonella and they may cheat in beer pong.

Since both animals can leave Salmonella in various places, don’t let them roam freely in the kitchen, dining room, bedroom, or bathroom where they may touch anything that may go into your mouth or make themselves some mac-and-cheese. It’s better to have designated locations for them. When you clean objects in these locations, do so outside the house so that you don’t contaminate anything else.

Keep hedgehogs and bearded away from your face. If you feel the need to kiss or snuggle with them, send them affectionate texts loaded with emojis instead.

While a Salmonella infection typically results in four to seven days of diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps, if the bacteria gets into your bloodstream, it can wreak more havoc and even cause life-threatening complications. This is more likely if you are less than five years old or 65 years or older or have a weakened immune system. Therefore, if you do have these risk factors, be extra careful when hanging out with a hedgehog or bearded dragon. In fact, consider keeping your distance. A Zoom call may be better, although they may seem like they are frequently on mute.