Please read and give me input, concerned herper

[Boacephus]

Okay guys here's my dilema. My wife is about 6 months pregnant and I currently have:

BCI - 9'
royal - juvenile 3'
beardie
basilisk
pacman frog
tokay

I'm not worried about constricting accidents, all reptiles are kept in their own room. So even if an escape happened they would still be contained. What concerns me is the Salmonella! Just about every site I have looked at claims you shouldn't keep reptiles in a house with children under the age of 5yrs. I can become more deligent in hand washing and all the other proper precautionary measures but some other input would be of great help. I love my herps, but I will not and can not put my collection above my first born. Thanks in advance for any input and advice on the matter.
[addsig]

	Boa Constrictor Imperator Boa Constrictor (Boa constrictor imperator). Most common is the Colombian Boa.

[morti]

Wow, that is a tough one!

The best advice I can offer you is keep the kid away from the snakes. That's where the locked door on the reptile room comes in. Wash like a surgeon after handling your snakes before touching your child. Invest in a REALLY good antibacterial soap such as can be found from a medical supplier.

Good luck!

-Morti.
[addsig]

[eddie]

Following standard protocol for herps should be good.
Wash hands before and after handling. Use a scrub brush for your nails.
wear a smock over your clothes any time you handle them.( get at least two so you can rotate them)
Only you, do the dirty work of cleaning up their room.
All of their feces removed to a trash area away from the household garbage.
Don't handle human foods with out washing hands, just in case.
Don't let the wife and babies put any turtles in their mouths. (seriously)
Keep all their supplies seperate from the rest of the household supplies, so there won't be any cross contaminations.
If in doubt, clean or wash.
Keep the snakes clean with a bath if they get poo on them and don't forget to bleach the tub afterwards.

I know i may have missed something, so everyone or any one can pipe in here any time.

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[Joltman]

I do not know how legit it is to say you can catch salmaonelle from snakes. I personally thnk if you catch it from your snakes you are not doing something right. It is far fetched that you contract it from your animals,but there are so many ppl out there that preach snakes=salmonella that it is a good argueing point for the ppl that want to take them away for us. I do think and practice hygiene when it comes to snakes. I keep little bootles of antibactirial bottles all over the house and make my kids and myself wash before and after handleing my snakes. I also use it in between snakes.Now if all your snakes and equipment are in the same room, the chances are very slim that could could get it. Practice good husbandry and common sence and you should be fine

[addsig]

[Ophiophagus-hannah]

I think the chances are great that raw chicken has more salmonella than snakes do. There is no one saying get rid of all you're chicken in the fridge before you have any kids. Well, precautions are definitely needed. Some great advice here. I'd have to agree that investment in a good soap is needed. Hand washing should be done religously even if one doesn't have a baby around. Good luck and take care.
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[Shadrach]

Yeah actually chance's of catching salmonella are greater in something we do all the time!! Anyone else here beside's me like to lick the bowl of left over cake batter?? Or how about cookie dough??? Chicken is definately the #1 leading case's of salmonella!!!! I would just go with washing hand's it's the #1 germ killer!!
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[rainbowlishiss]

Boacephus, I have three kids and they all touch the reptiles. Including the more dirty guys being the dragons. If you practice and teach the kids saftey rules: washing your hands before and after touching the animals with an antibacterial soap, and do all the steps. I dont see any reason you would have to worry about the Salmonella. Everything Eddie said below as well as Morti, follow those guidelines and you should be ok.

We keep animal cleaning supplies in one area, and dishes and household cleaning supplies in another.

More people are sick from FOOD POISONING w/ Salmonella than they are from picking it up from there reptiles. The only reason they don't want you to have a infant around one is because babies put EVERYTHING in there mouth. So you just show baby its a looking loo and not something to touch. ALWAYS EASIER SAID THEN DONE.

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[Boacephus]

Thanks for the words. I figured I was being alittle to wooried about it. Like I said just about every website stated the above procedures(eddie) to be safe. All my herps are and always will have their own room, I guess I just need to start bleaching out the tub after I do my cleanings. My wife wasn't concerned about it either and she is usually a worry wart. The sites also stated that if you use precaution you do stand more of a chance of catching it from raw/uncooked food. Thanks again.
[addsig]

[telefrag]

I had nearly 50 snakes while my wife was pregnant, she didnt touch them, and I washed my hands thouroughly whenever handling the snakes/tools, or food.

So far nothing bad has happened.
Its funny that they salmonella is so common with reptiles, no one ever mentions that cats,dogs, and birds are just as likely carriers.


dont believe every thing you read/hear.
Its good to err on the side of caution, but paranoia-no
[addsig]

[Constrictor_BO]

I agree with everyone else. You shouldnt have anything to worry about if you
1. put a lock on the door.
2. Wash real good after handling/cleaning

This salmonella thing has been blown way out of proportion by the media.



_________________
If rabbits feet are so lucky.....
What happened to the rabbit?

[ss26969]

do all of the above and you will be fine
[addsig]

[impermanentrage]

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font class="pn-sub">Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT class="pn-sub"><BLOCKQUOTE> Its funny that they salmonella is so common with reptiles, no one ever mentions that cats,dogs, and birds are just as likely carriers.


</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>

Although i agree that the salmonella scare tactic is a crock of bovine feces, i feel obligated to contest your belief that you are just as likely to get it from domestic mammals. True, mammals carry it, but it isn't asymptomatic or endemic to them , as it is in reptiles[aves included]. Reptiles[and aves] are presented with salmonella during egg deposition , and cloacal passage of young during birth , in the case of ovi-vivaporous species. It is natural flora for most , if not all reptiles.
Sorry, i am not in disagreement, just want to clarify.


Entropy,
Alex
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