Reptile-associated salmonellosis - selected states, 1994-1995

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, May 5, 1995

Pennsylvania. During October 1994, a 21-day-old girl was hospitalized because of an illness including vomiting, bloody diarrhea, and fever. She received empirical treatment with intravenous ampicillin. A culture of stool yielded Salmonella serotype Poona; she was discharged from the hospital after 11 days. Other members of the family were asymptomatic. The infant had been fed infant formula and had not attended a child-care center. The family owned an iguana, and culture of a stool sample from the iguana yielded Salmonella Poona. Although the infant did not have contact with the iguana, the iguana was handled frequently by her mother and other members of the family.

Additional investigations. In addition to the six states in this report, seven other states (California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, Oregon, and Utah) have reported recent isolation of the same Salmonella serotype from samples obtained from patients and reptiles with which they had been in contact or associated. Several of these states issued press releases about the risk for acquiring salmonellosis from reptiles. In addition, some states have issued health alerts to pet stores to warn owners and prospective owners about the risks for salmonellosis associated with contact with reptiles and to provide instructions about proper handling of reptiles; store owners have been asked to post the alert and provide copies to all persons purchasing a reptile.

Reported by. JW Weinstein, MD, EG Seltzer, MD, Yale Univ School of Medicine, New Haven, RS Nelson, DVM, JL Hadler, MD, State Epidemiologist, Connecticut Dept of Public Health and Addiction Svcs. SM Paul, MD, FE Sorhage, VMD, Div of Epidemiology, Environmental and Occupational Health Svcs; K Pilot, S Matluck, Public Health and Environmental Laboratories; K Spitalny, MD, State Epidemiologist, New Jersey State Dept of Health. M Gupta, MD, J Misage, G Balzano, T Root, G Birkhead, MD, DL Morse, MD, State Epidemiologist, New York State Dept of Health. A Kopelman, MD, S Engelke, MD, L Jones, Pitt County Memorial Hospital, Greenville,, L Latour Phd, P Perry, Wilson County Health Dept, Wilson, B Jenkins, State Laboratory of Public Health, J-M Maillard, MD, JN MacCormack, MD, State Epidemiologist, North Carolina Dept of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources. C Richards, P Fruth, Defiance County Health Dept, Defiance, S Hufford, MD, B Dick, MPH, Toledo Hospital; M Bundesen, Bur of Public Health Laboratories, EP Salehi, MPH, Infectious Disease Epidemiology Unit, TJ Halpin, MD, State Epidemiologist, Ohio Dept of Health. P Lurie, MD, M Deasy, K Mihelcic, JT Rankin, Jr DVM, State Epidemiologist, Pennsylvania Dept of Health. Foodborne and Diarrheal Diseases Br, Div of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases; Div of Field Epidemiology, Epidemiology Program Office, CDC.

Editorial Note: For most of the cases described in this report, the identification of rare Salmonella serotypes in persons who had no other apparent exposures was linked to direct or indirect contact with a pet reptile from which the same serotype was isolated. In addition, these cases are consistent with previous reports indicating that direct contact with a reptile is not necessary for transmission of Salmonella[1,2]. This report also illustrates the severe complications of Salmonella infection that can occur in young children, immunocompromised persons, and infants during the peripartum period.