At least 45 Canadians, including nine toddlers under the age of 5, have contracted salmonellosis since February 2022 following coming into contact with snakes or mice used to feed them, the Public Health Agency of Canada said. Canada (PHAC) Thursday.
The outbreak, which is still ongoing, according to PHAC, as new cases continue to be reported, has spread to eight provinces, but is mainly concentrated in Ontario (22 cases) and Quebec (11 cases) .
The outbreak began in February 2022, but has picked up once more since December, with 17 out of 45 cases recorded in the past four months.
Of the 45 authenticated cases, 20% resulted in hospitalization and one ended in the death of the infected person. More cases of illness might be discovered in the coming weeks, PHAC added.
“The outbreak is linked to snakes and feeding rodents. Several infected people report having had direct or indirect contact with snakes and feeding rodents (used as food for reptiles) before the onset of the disease, ”detailed the Agency.
Salmonellosis can be contracted by handling reptiles or rodents contaminated with salmonella bacteria and then touching their face. To prevent any risk, the health authorities advise washing your hands following having been in contact with these animals, in addition to decontaminating the surfaces with which they have been in contact.
Reptile owners should also refrain from kissing their snake or rodent, prevent them from coming into contact with children aged 5 and under, and take special care in the kitchen, especially to avoid any contact between rodents intended for food and food, utensils or worktops, gave the example of PHAC.
Salmonellosis can affect anyone, but children under 5, pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are most at risk.
In many cases, the disease causes few symptoms, which does not prevent infected people from being contagious. In more severe cases, salmonellosis can, among other things, cause fever, diarrhea, vomiting and severe headaches. Symptoms can last for a week.
The link between salmonellosis and snakes is well known. By the end of the 2010s, a similar outbreak had infected more than 50 people in Quebec over a period of more than two and a half years, PHAC reported.
