Geckos responsible for salmonella outbreak spanning seven provinces: Public Health Agency

When it comes to salmonella, chickens have a bad rep. But it’s actually reptiles that are believed to be responsible for an outbreak of salmonella illnesses currently spanning seven provinces.

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada exposure to geckos has sickened people in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick.

“Based on investigation findings to date, exposure to geckos has been identified as a likely source of the outbreak,” the agency confirmed in a release Friday.

“Many of the individuals who became sick reported having direct or indirect contact with geckos, or the environments where these pets are kept, before their illnesses occurred.

According to the release, some people who became ill didn’t even touch or handle the geckos themselves, but merely lived in the same house where they were kept.

“Salmonella with the same outbreak strain was found in a gecko habitat from the home of an ill individual,” the health agency added.

As of March 22, there are 35 confirmed cases linked to the gecko outbreak, with five requiring hospitalization. Seven cases have been in children aged five and under.

Ontario reported the most cases with 18.

“These outbreaks highlight the important role that reptile owners and business operators can play in preventing new illnesses linked to these types of pets,” the release adds.

Symptoms of salmonella poisoning typically start six to 72 hours after exposure to salmonella bacteria, and usually last for four to seven days.

Symptoms may include:

• fever
• chills
• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• headache
• abdominal cramps

“Reptiles like geckos can carry salmonella,” the release emphasizes.

“You can get sick with salmonella by touching reptiles or their environments and then touching your face, eyes or mouth without first washing your hands. You can also get sick by touching contaminated surfaces or objects in a home as well as the exhibits or aquariums where geckos are kept.”