I get a lot of emails about this blog. Some are complementary, some… well… not so much.
When it comes to the latter group, the most common (and often the most grammatically-challenged) group is raw meat feeders. They’re a constant source of interesting comments about my intelligence and other aspects of my life. Some actually provide well-written explanations of why they do what they do and I’ve had some good discussions with a few. Others just like to call me stupid and move on. The guy who provides treatment recommendations for dogs based on fish antibiotics (and his buddies) was another interesting one. The dodgy equine protozoal myelitis clinical trial person (and her friends) was another (she also wrote to my Dean… that’s another story). The list goes on.
The latest group has been people upset that I have concerns about reptiles in schools. It seems that a post I wrote a while ago about a school reptile club ended up on a reptile website, whose members are now inundating me with emails. While I appreciate the fact that they are reptile enthusiasts and like their pets, they’re missing the big picture.
Yes, reptiles can be good pets, in certain situations. I actually like reptiles. I used to own a few, and the first patient I treated in practice was a reptile.
I’ve also spoken with people whose children have acquired Salmonella from a reptile. I’ve read numerous papers about kids that died from Salmonella from a reptile, and I think I’ve yet to meet an infectious diseases physician who doesn’t almost immediately launch into reptile-Salmonella stories when they hear what I do.
The fact is, reptile exposure accounts for a very disproportionate number of Salmonella infections in people, and kids bear the brunt of this. That’s why the CDC and various other groups say that reptiles shouldn’t be in households with young kids (or the elderly, pregnant women or people with compromised immune systems). The same applies for schools and day cares, where young kids are present, parental knowledge of the exposure is often non-existent, and basic infection control practices are spotty, at best.
No one is saying people shouldn’t keep reptiles as pets. However, to me, the evidence is clear that certain people shouldn’t have reptiles as pets or be in contact with them. Adults can decide to do things that compromise their health. Adults shouldn’t make decisions that compromise the health of their kids or kids for whom they are responsible. Ensuring high-risk children stay away from high-risk animals like reptiles is part of that.