Diseases that can be Spread from Reptiles to People
Organism |
Found in |
Disease it Causes |
Human Symptoms |
|
Salmonella |
Turtles and tortoises, lizards, and snakes |
Salmonellosis |
Upset stomach, cramps, diarrhea, fever, nausea, and vomiting; can become life threatening |
|
Edwardsiella |
Turtles and tortoises, snakes |
Gastroenteritis; neonatal sepsis and meningitis |
Same as salmonellosis plus more life-threatening illnesses |
|
Spirometra |
Snakes |
Sparganosis |
Painful and inflamed skin nodules, swelling and inflammation around the eye; could travel to the brain |
|
Pentastomes (tongue worms) |
Snakes |
Pentastomiasis |
Usually causes no symptoms; high numbers of worms can cause abscesses, masses, or blockage of ducts in various organs, with symptoms depending on the location |
|
*Note: This is not a comprehensive list of infections passed from reptiles to people, but it includes the ones that are most common. (For a more detailed discussion of diseases you can catch from animals, see Introduction to Diseases Spread between Animals and People (Zoonoses). |
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