ZOONOSIS (THE HUMAN HEALTH RISK FROM EXPOSURE TO REPTILES)
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ZOONOSIS (THE HUMAN HEALTH RISK FROM EXPOSURE TO REPTILES)

by
Edward M. Craft

There are a number of diseases that are carried by reptiles that may potentially be transmitted to humans. These diseases are called ZOONOSIS and are reason for concern by the general public. Individuals with compromised immune systems, such as those undergoing an organ transplant or HIV positive, young infants and elderly adults are at most risk from zoonotic illnesses. Another group that is at higher risk are those who receive greater exposure to reptiles, such as veterinarians, their staff, herpetologist and hobbyists.

The most well publicized zoonotic illness is of course Salmonella. There have been many recent reports of exposure to salmonella in small children that have been linked to reptiles. The most well known and publicized carrier of salmonella are iguanas and turtles. While these two animals do pose a potential health risk by spreading salmonella, many people are unaware of the fact that salmonella is carried by all species of reptiles and not just turtles and iguanas. To drive home this point I would like to point out that up to 80% of all iguanas cultured for salmonella have tested positive for the disease.

There are over 2,000 stereotypes within the single species of Salmonella enteritidis alone. Salmonella is a gram-negative bacteria that may lay dormant in the effected reptile and not be shed until it enters into the active disease stage.

For more information concerning salmonella and the human health risk I would suggest that you consult your physician or state public health veterinarian for more details.

Some parasitic infections also pose a zoonotic threat such as parasites like tongue and lung worms. Coccidia are also a parasitic infection that may be transmitted to humans; in fact most parasites may be transmitted to humans and other animals. Some may pose a minor health risk while others may leave the host extremely ill.

An obvious health risk to humans is the potential to receive a bite from a venomous species. Although venomous bites do not constitute a zoonotic disease it is still a health risk to humans and will be addressed here in this section. Prevention is best performed by not housing or keeping venomous species. Venomous species range in their threat to humans from making a human mildly ill to death. Because of the obvious risks involved it is NEVER recommended that venomous species be kept by private individuals. As interaction between human and reptile increases the odds of being bitten increases. A single bottle of anti venom for the common species of venomous species runs about $350.00 per 10ml vial and in the case of exotic species the same vial may cost as much as $1,000.00. The current recommended treatment for snakebites involved the administration of several bottles of anti venom given at set intervals with the minimum number usually ranging between 3-4 vials. If for no other reason one should consider the cost of treating a bite as grounds enough NOT to kept venomous species.

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All rights reserved by Edward M. Craft. Printed in the United States of America. Original Edition 1997