Bearded Dragons are Spreading Salmonella in Colorado
Our Bearded Dragon was named Himmy. We rehomed him after my kids lost interest and I found myself the only one feeding him crickets and cockroaches and dealing with that horrendous smelling poop. He was cool to watch, but not my kind of pet.
Recently the Centers for Disease Control issued an alert that a Salmonella Outbreak had been linked to bearded dragons involving 25 states including Colorado. Nationwide 15 people have been hospitalized.
Salmonella usually consists of diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps and can last several days. Salmonella most commonly comes from poop. In this case, bearded dragon poop containing salmonella that can spread to food dishes, your hands, their bodies, etc. Washing your hands is super important.
The CDC explained, "you can get sick from touching your bearded dragon or anything in its environment and then touching your mouth and swallowing Salmonella germs." So, this means no kissing your scaly friend.
Bearded dragons are very popular. Most people I know do not end up keeping them for their entire 10-year lifespan, so take that into account if you're considering one.
Wondering why they are called "bearded dragons"? According to Petco the "Bearded" part "refers to a flap of skin under the chin that they extend when disturbed. They are usually even-tempered and seem to tolerate human interaction."