Salmonella outbreak linked to bearded dragon reptiles
CDC photo.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
On June 14, 2024, the CDC issued a warning that it has received reports of 15 Salmonella illnesses linked to bearded dragons (a reptile sometimes kept as a pet) across 9 states - California, Georgia, Iowa, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas - with 4 people hospitalized and no deaths.
Of the people reported sick, 60% are children under 5 years old. Bearded dragons are not recommended as pets for children younger than 5, adults age 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.
Bearded dragons can carry Salmonella germs (bacteria) in their droppings, even if they look healthy and clean.
You can get sick from touching your bearded dragon, or anything in its environment, and then touching your mouth or food (causing to to swallow Salmonella).
What You Should Do:
• Wash your hands, play safely, and keep things clean.
• Make sure children younger than 5 years old avoid contact with your bearded dragon and older children wash their hands after touching or feeding a bearded dragon.
• Have a dedicated enclosure for your bearded dragon. Don’t allow bearded dragons to roam in the same spaces where your baby or young children crawl and play.
About Salmonella:
• Most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps 6 hours to 6 days after being exposed to the bacteria.
• The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most people recover without treatment.
• In some people, the illness may be so severe that the patient is hospitalized.
• Children younger than 5, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have severe illness.
For more information about Salmonella, see the Salmonella Questions and Answers page at www.cdc.gov/salmonella/general/index.html.
If you have questions about cases in a particular state, please contact the health department in that state.