photo credit: Yukari.
But there is a potential for transmission of salmonella, according to a recent NEJM article, summarized on Medpage Today.
ATLANTA, Jan. 3 -- Those
cute little hamsters can carry nasty salmonella pathogens. A rodent is
a rodent.
That's the conclusion of an investigation by researchers from the CDC here, after eight pet hamsters were found in 2004 by Minnesota health department workers to have died from the same subtype of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium.
A review of human cases that occurred from December 2003 to September 2004 identified 28 patients with the same rare subtype, according to Stephen Swanson, M.D., of the CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Service Program...
The researchers reported two specific human cases that prompted the investigation -- one in South Carolina and one on Minnesota.
In the first case, a four-year-old boy was given a pet hamster from a pet store, which died two days later. A week after the hamster's death, the boy was taken to hospital with fever, watery diarrhea, and abdominal cramping.
A stool culture yielded the same rare subtype of S. enterica serotype Typhimurium, the researchers said.
In the second case, a five-year-old boy had diarrhea for 14 days, abdominal cramps, vomiting, and fever. Four days before the boy fell ill, his family had bought a mouse from a pet store, which immediately became lethargic and developed diarrhea.
Despite the animal's illness, "the boy frequently handled and kissed it," Dr. Swanson and colleagues reported.
Cultures from the boy and the animal yielded the same rare salmonella subtype.
That's the conclusion of an investigation by researchers from the CDC here, after eight pet hamsters were found in 2004 by Minnesota health department workers to have died from the same subtype of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium.
A review of human cases that occurred from December 2003 to September 2004 identified 28 patients with the same rare subtype, according to Stephen Swanson, M.D., of the CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Service Program...
The researchers reported two specific human cases that prompted the investigation -- one in South Carolina and one on Minnesota.
In the first case, a four-year-old boy was given a pet hamster from a pet store, which died two days later. A week after the hamster's death, the boy was taken to hospital with fever, watery diarrhea, and abdominal cramping.
A stool culture yielded the same rare subtype of S. enterica serotype Typhimurium, the researchers said.
In the second case, a five-year-old boy had diarrhea for 14 days, abdominal cramps, vomiting, and fever. Four days before the boy fell ill, his family had bought a mouse from a pet store, which immediately became lethargic and developed diarrhea.
Despite the animal's illness, "the boy frequently handled and kissed it," Dr. Swanson and colleagues reported.
Cultures from the boy and the animal yielded the same rare salmonella subtype.
They go on to report about another very serious case, involving a pregnant woman. She ended up having serious perinatal complications, as did the infant.
The only advice is to remind people to wash their hands frequently, certainly after handling rodents. But the report suggests that pregnant women may want to be especially careful. It also suggests that perhaps people should limit contact with new rodent pets for a couple of weeks after obtaining it. Might be hard to do, with eager kids around.
Comments
This must be Hamsters and Pregnant Women Don't Mix Week; I did a write-up on lymphocytic choriomeningitis for work yesterday. Usually found in house mice, it was found mice can infect hamsters, or at least golden hamsters. The mother usually has mild or no symptoms but the fetus can wind up with mental retardation, hydrocephalus, or death.
So hamsters are out. Mice are out. Guinea pigs are out (LCMV too). Cats are out (toxoplasmosis). It just goes to show you dogs make the best pets.
Posted by: Algerine | January 3, 2007 8:11 PM
how about house pekin ducks
Posted by: isela | April 11, 2007 6:52 PM
We had a duck for a while when I wa a small child, but we never let it into the house.
That was long before bird flu.
Agreed, dogs make the best pets.
Then why do I have three cats and no dogs?
Posted by: Joseph j7uy5 | April 11, 2007 7:12 PM
Oh, but hamsters make great pets, their sooooo sweet. I've had 4 so far and three have lived for over 2 years. The other is now 1 and a bit but still healthy.
Posted by: Sevie | October 8, 2007 12:58 PM
i love hamsters so much!! their so cute!!
Posted by: sierra | July 25, 2008 1:38 PM