Salmonella and Reptiles: Veterinary Guidelines
Assoc Reptilian Amphibian Vet 8[2]:14-15 Summer'98 Special Report 0 Refs

- Veterinarians who treat reptiles should be aware of the following information and recommendations concerning reptiles and Salmonella spp. The following guidelines have been developed by the Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV), in cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). An ARAV-sponsored handout follows on the next page and can be copied as necessary. 1. Veterinarians who treat reptiles should educate their clients who own reptiles about Salmonella spp. and provide information on the recommended precautions for reducing the risk of transmission of Salmonella spp. from reptiles to humans. A brochure of the client education handout is currently being prepared for national distribution. 2. All veterinarians, staff and clients who handle reptiles should follow recommended precautions for reducing the risk of transmitting Salmonella spp. from reptiles to humans. 3. All reptiles should be presumed to be carrying Salmonella spp. in their intestinal tract and to be continuously or intermittently shedding it in their feces. Bacterial culture of fecal specimens from reptiles to determine Salmonella infection status is discouraged. If veterinarians are called upon to assist health officials in determining the cause of salmonellosis in a person, bacterial culture of combined fecal and cloacal specimens from reptiles with which that person had direct or indirect contact are recommended. 4. It is not recommended to treat healthy reptiles with antimicrobial agents with the intention of eliminating Salmonella spp. from the intestinal tract. Clients who request treatment of healthy reptiles for Salmonella spp. should be discouraged from such treatment and cautioned about the possibility of causing emergence of antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella strains that might pose a greater health risk to humans.