# The Truth about Hedgehogs and Samonella



## EmersonTheHedgehog (Mar 20, 2016)

I think the Hedgehog community needs to be aware of this information so that we can better common misconceptions.
*Do All Hedgehogs Carry Salmonella?

*No, not all pet hedgehogs will give you Salmonella. It is important to pick a healthy looking hedgehog though, one that doesn't have diarrhea, isn't lethargic, and have no discharge from the eyes and nose. If a sickly looking hedgehog is in with a bunch of health looking hedgehogs you should also avoid purchasing the healthy ones for fear of exposure to Salmonella.

*What If I Already Have a Hedgehog? Can I Get Salmonella?

*Your hedgehog may or may not have been exposed to Salmonella in the past but if you've had your pet for sometime and he has never had diarrhea you are probably safe. It is still recommended to wash your hands after handling your hedgehog and never kiss them though to avoid possible infection.

*How Will I Know if I Have Salmonella?

*Diarrhea, abdominal cramping, fever, headache, and stomach pain are all indications that you have been infected with Salmonella. Your doctor will be able to treat your symptoms and diagnose you will Salmonella poisoning. He may even question you as to what you have recently eaten and what animals you have been exposed to in order to discover a possible source of your infection.

Living in constant fear of contracting a bacteria is completely ridiculous. Most healthy people are easily treated if they are infected with Salmonella but it is always a good idea to be cautious. Washing your hands after handling any animal is a good idea and if your hedgehog is every showing symptoms of a Salmonella infection you should get him to your exotics vet

*Can I Prevent Myself From Getting Infected?

*The CDC (Center for Disease Control) has recommendations for preventing Salmonella infections from pocket pets.

"Washing hands with soap and water after handling rodents or their cages and bedding is the most important thing you can do to reduce the risk of Salmonella transmission. When cleaning up droppings from your pet, always wash your hands thoroughly afterwards. Young children, especially those younger than five years old, should be closely supervised when cleaning cages and should wash their hands immediately following handling rodent feces. Do not eat food or smoke while handling your pet. Do not handle pets in food preparation areas. Do not kiss your pet or hold it close to your mouth."


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

I just wanted to add that any pet can carry Salmonella, not just hedgehogs.


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## Dumble (Feb 22, 2016)

Pretty sure you have a better shot at getting salmonella from your local burger pit then you do your pet hedgehog


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## EmersonTheHedgehog (Mar 20, 2016)

Yes, unfortunately after the event in 2012 where 14 people got salmonella,( with which the CDC claimed Hedgehogs were the cause) causing the death of a 90 year old man; It has become a common misconception that Hedgehogs carry salmonella. You can find it all over the internet. The chances are so very slim. I just wanted to post this to make people aware of the fact that Hedgehogs are not known to carry salmonella. Only in rare cases have they been found to carry it. Those cases were most likely related to the food they were eating. Its so sad because several people have been scared away of owning a Hedgehog due to this. So we should try to spread more awareness on this issue. P.S ...I kiss my Hedgehog all the time


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## HedgehogHarvey (May 31, 2017)

Apparently there's another "outbreak" that the CDC is tracking. 10 of 11 people with this strain of salmonella admitted handling hedgehogs. https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/typhimurium-01-19/map.html


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## belties (Oct 2, 2018)

That was interesting reading. Looking at the facts presented the group that was infected was the normal age and gender most likely to handle hedgehogs. The other interesting fact was that only 3 hogs were tested and were positive. Makes me wonder if hedgehogs gave it to humans or humans gave it to hogs. I would like to know if this strain is maybe the most easily contracted by both and more coincidence than anything else. They claim armidilos carry leprasy and in the last 10 years we have been invaded by them around here and I have yet to hear of a case of leprasy. Just because an animal can carry a germ doesn't mean it normally does or ever will. Personally I would be more worried about all the new backyard chicken flocks than hedgehogs that are housed indoors ,singly, and in normally very clean enviroments. Just my 2 cents.


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

Please check the date on a thread before posting, this one is from 2016.


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## HedgehogHarvey (May 31, 2017)

nikki said:


> Please check the date on a thread before posting, this one is from 2016.


I made a conscience decision to post in this "thread from 2016". I continued a topic that was already started and provided new relevant information and assumed the responses would be very similar. Would you prefer I start another thread on the same topic? Not sure what your response means "please check the date"....


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

Please read over the forum rules. 

As stated in the rules "Read the date the thread you are replying to was posted. Dragging up year or two old threads is not only annoying but pointless as often the original poster is no longer an active member."

If you wish to discuss a topic or ask a question we ask that you start a new thread.


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## Mecki (Nov 4, 2017)

I see the forum rules but I would agree with Hedgehog Harvey that, in this instance, this seems an appropriate place to post this _updated_ outbreak.

If a new thread had been started with this _new_ outbreak, I would have been completely unaware that there was a prior outbreak. I would also have missed out on the helpful information posted by Emerson regarding the facts and prevention of salmonella in regards to hedgehogs.

This entire thread is relevant and helpful for current members. I was glad to have seen the prior posts when I received a phone call the other day from a relative who had seen the alarmist news about the "dangers of hedgehogs."

I'm on numerous pet forums and all of them _do_ discourage posting on old threads... _unless_ it happens to be an ongoing topic (such as this one) that adds to the discussion. There are times when some flexibility can benefit forum members.


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