Salmonella infections across Canada linked to snakes and their rodent feed

An ongoing outbreak of sal‐ monella infections in eight provinces is linked to snakes and rodents used to feed them, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PJAC) says.

As of March 19, there are 70 confirmed cases of Salmo‐ nella I and Salmonella ty‐ phimurium illness reported in this outbreak in:

British Columbia (3). Al‐ berta (10). Saskatchewan (7). Manitoba (3). Ontario (32). Quebec (11). New Brunswick (1) Newfoundland and Labrador (3).

It marks an increase of 25 cases since the first public health notice was issued last April, PHAC said.

"Many of the individuals who became sick reported di‐ rect or indirect contact with snakes and feeder rodents (used as reptile food) before their illnesses occurred," the agency said in a release.

"Some people who be‐ came sick did not touch or handle the snakes or feeder rodents themselves, but lived in the same house where they were kept."

A single common supplier of snakes or feeder rodents has not been identified.

The outbreak is a re‐ minder that salmonella can be found in many animal species, including snakes and rodents.

"To prevent illness, indi‐ viduals are advised to prac‐ tice good hand hygiene and frequent handwashing after contact with snakes, feeder rodents and their environ‐ ments," PHAC advised.

Both this investigation and past outbreaks of salmo‐ nella illnesses linked to snakes and rodents high‐ lighted the role reptile own‐ ers and business operators can play in preventing new ill‐ nesses linked to these types of pets.

In the latest outbreak, in‐ dividuals became sick be‐ tween February 2022 and February 2024. Ten have been hospitalized. One per‐ son died with salmonella confirmed as the cause of death, which was reported last April, PHAC said. For this outbreak, the illness report‐ ing period is between four and six weeks.

Never kiss a pet rodent and other tips

The outbreak investiga‐ tion started last spring.

Using a laboratory method called whole genome sequencing, investi‐ gators determined that some salmonella illnesses dating back to 2022 were caused by the same outbreak strain as the illnesses that occurred in 2023 and 2024.

Thirteen (19 per cent) cases are in children five years of age or younger. About half (53 per cent) are female.

To prevent the direct or indirect spread of the bacter‐ ia to others, the agency ad‐ vised:

Always wash your hands immediately after touching a reptile or rodent, and any‐ thing they eat, or after being in the area where they live, play or touch. Regularly clean any surfaces or objects your reptile or rodent touches with soapy water followed by a household sanitizer. Never kiss a pet rodent or reptile. Do not keep reptiles or ro‐ dents in homes, daycare cen‐ tres, schools, or other facili‐ ties with children aged five years and under. Always su‐ pervise children when they touch or play with reptiles or rodents. Do not let them put reptiles and rodents or their supplies near their face or share their food or drinks with pets. Make sure they thoroughly wash their hands after touching reptiles or ro‐ dents. Children five years and under should not handle reptiles or rodents. Do not clean or bathe reptiles or ro‐ dents in the kitchen sink, bathroom sinks, or bathtubs. Do not keep food used for reptiles or rodents in the kitchen or any room where people eat or drink. Keep reptiles and rodents and all their food, containers, enclo‐ sures, and any objects that have been in their enclo‐ sures, such as plants or en‐ richment items, away from the kitchen and other places where food is made or eaten. Do not keep frozen rodents in the same fridge or freezer as human food. Freezing ro‐ dents does not kill salmonel‐ la. Always defrost and prepare frozen rodents out‐ side the kitchen, using dedi‐ cated utensils and containers Be aware of the specific needs of your reptile. Stress for a reptile can increase the shedding of Salmonella. Al‐ ways keep reptiles and live rodents in habitats specifical‐ ly designed for them. If you choose to have a reptile or rodent in your home, talk to your health care provider or veterinarian about the right reptile or rodent for your family, especially if your family includes children 5 years and younger, pregnant people, immunocompro‐ mised individuals, or adults 65 years of age and over

Salmonella symptoms in‐ clude a sudden onset of headache, fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and sometimes vomiting.