Bearded dragon lizards are causing a salmonella outbreak in Wisconsin and 24 other states, the CDC says
Jake Prinsen
Federal health officials said Tuesday a popular type of pet lizard might be causing salmonella outbreaks in Wisconsin and across the country.
Forty-four people, including four in Wisconsin, have been infected with a strain of Salmonella Uganda across 25 states as of Monday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Of 33 people interviewed, 64% said they owned or touched a bearded dragon lizard or its supplies. They reported getting their bearded dragons from various places, including pet stores and online, according to a CDC report.
The reports show the illnesses ranged from Dec. 24, 2020, to Dec. 2, 2021. Those infected included patients younger than 1 to 84 years old. Eight were children younger than 5. Of 37 people with information available to the CDC, 15 or about 41% were hospitalized, and no deaths were reported.
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CDC officials believe the number of sick people during the outbreak was much higher than the reported number because many recover without medical care, and the infections aren’t reported. Recent illnesses also may not be reported because it takes two to four weeks to determine if someone is part of an outbreak.
On Nov. 19, 2021, the Oregon Health Authority collected samples from a bearded dragon in a sick person’s home for testing, according to the CDC report. Whole genome sequencing showed that the salmonella on the animal is closely related to bacteria from sick people. This means that people likely got sick from touching bearded dragons, according to CDC officials.
Whole genome sequencing of bacteria from 44 people’s samples and one bearded dragon sample did not predict any antibiotic resistance. Standard antibiotic susceptibility testing of two people’s samples by CDC’s National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring Systems laboratory also found no resistance. Most people with salmonella recover without antibiotics.
The CDC advises pet owners to always take steps to stay healthy around bearded dragons:
- Wash your hands
- Don’t kiss or snuggle your bearded dragon
- Don’t eat or drink around it
- Keep it out of the kitchen
- Keep its supplies and habitat clean
Contact Jake Prinsen at jprinsen@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @PrinsenJake.