Iguanas and salmonella

Is it true that iguanas carry the salmonella bacteria on their bodies? My sister-in-law just got 2 iguanas and I'm a little nervous about my niece and nephew being near them.

I probably wouldn't be worrying about it but my sister-in-law does all the cooking and taking care of the iguanas. I love her but she doesn't seem to be too concerned about washing her hands after handling the lizards.

(09-15-2012, 05:09 AM)minnow Wrote: Is it true that iguanas carry the salmonella bacteria on their bodies? My sister-in-law just got 2 iguanas and I'm a little nervous about my niece and nephew being near them.

I probably wouldn't be worrying about it but my sister-in-law does all the cooking and taking care of the iguanas. I love her but she doesn't seem to be too concerned about washing her hands after handling the lizards.

from what ive heard, any kind of reptile can carry the salmonella virus...but it is contained in their feces. you should always wash your hands before and after you handle one and never touch your face before you wash your hands after you are done handling. also, animals that are not known to be in their feces alot, have a much smaller chance of giving you the virus. chameleons for example are arboreal and rarely make contact with their feces. some turtles on the other hand may accidentally walk through it..but as long as you wash your hands and dont touch your face, your fine

Mama is pretty much on the money with her answer. All reptiles have some species of bacteria in the Salmonella group in the digestive tract, it's beneficial gut fauna for them. If their enclosure is kept clean, there is very little risk. You actually have more risks involved in cleaning the average cat litter box.

That said, good hygiene goes a long way. I wash my hands after cleaning any reptile enclosures, and after cleaning litter boxes. And before cooking anything, no matter what I've touched. Not to overstep any boundaries here, but if she's not washing her hands before starting work in the kitchen, the iguanas are far from the biggest problem she may have.

Add Manda said though, it is not ON them, unless they are rolling around in feces constantly. And Salmonella doesn't have a particularly long life span outside in open air. The reason its far more common in turtles, is it does have a much greater chance of survival in warm water, as in a turtle enclosure, and the turtle would be swimming in it constantly, so if the water is not cleaned regularly, the turtles body could be covered in it possibly.