The CDC is warning of cases of salmonella illness in people who've been near pet bearded dragon lizards Most of the cases occurred in children under 5, who are especially susceptible to the disease Simple safety precautions at home can reduce the risk, the CDC said MONDAY, June 17, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Lizards called bearded dragons may not breathe fire, but they can be a source of one nasty infection: Salmonella. So the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a health advisory on Friday, noting there have been reports of 15 illnesses linked to bearded dragons across nine states. "Four people have been hospitalized," the agency said, although no deaths linked to the scaly pets have been reported. The danger is most acute for young children, with 60% of the new cases reported in youngsters under the age of 5.
The very young and the elderly may be more vulnerable to these infections. For that reason, "bearded dragons are not recommended as pets for children younger than 5, adults aged 65 or older and people with weakened immune systems because these people are more likely to get a serious illness from germs that reptiles carry," the CDC said. You can't tell if a bearded dragon is carrying the salmonella bacteria just by looking at it, since they "can carry salmonella germs in their droppings even if they look healthy and clean," the agency said.
Infections typically occur when a person handles or touches one of the lizards and then moves their hands to their mout.
