Anne Willingham <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>Some lady on another message board that I play on posted a warning that
>gerbils, hamsters and FERRETS carry salmonella and that you shouldn't
>let your children play with them.  I think I just blew her head off my
>rebuttal was so quick.  Oooo... I hate it when idiots spread information
>without checking it first.
 
Yeah, some news reports included ferrets in their stories, so the lady
was probably referring to one of those news sources.
 
Ferrets MAY carry salmonella, but they are not rodents, which is what
the news report was about (the problem salmonella occurred in hamsters
and mice, not in ferrets).  Some news reports also said that kittens
carry salmonella.  I haven't looked at the CDC web site, so I don't
know if they error was in the CDC statement or in the news source's
interpretation.  However, ferrets CAN carry salmonella and other bacteria
(Campylobacter) that can be harmful to humans who have compromised immune
systems or who are very young.  Most adults won't be terribly affected by
it.  Many ferrets don't carry these bacteria (ferrets who eat raw diets
MAY be more likely carriers).
 
Frankly, if you handle an animal, you should wash your hands afterwards,
regardless of the species or if it is your pet or someone else's.
Probably you should wash your hands BEFORE you handle an animal, too.  As
the CDC says: "Children who are too young to reliably wash their hands"
shouldn't be allowed to handle animals.  I say: "Give 'em a stuffed toy."
Parents need to realized that very young children don't have the immune
systems that adults have.  The general public needs to learn to do a
little research on their own.  News sources need to learn how to
accurately report the news.
 
--Mary & the Fuzz
 
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Mary R. Shefferman and
Gabby, The Lone Ferret
Ferret Information: http://www.ferretnews.com
Read my blog! http://www.modernferretblog.com/mary
Depression Information: http://www.depressionplace.com
Neat Stuff: http://www.amysdesigns.com
[Posted in FML issue 4871]