A salmonella outbreak involving direct or indirect contact with geckos is under investigation.
The Public Health Agency of Canada is reporting 35 cases in seven provinces: British Columbia (2), Alberta (2), Saskatchewan (2), Manitoba (2), Ontario (18), Quebec (8) and New Brunswick (1).
The individuals became sick between March 2020 and January 2024.
Many of the individuals who became sick reported contact with geckos or the environments where these pets were kept before their illnesses occurred.
Some people who became sick did not touch or handle the geckos themselves but lived in the same house where they were kept. Salmonella with the same outbreak strain was found in a gecko habitat from the home of an ill individual.
Gecko Image: Public Health Agency of Canada
Five individuals have been hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported. Individuals who became ill are between zero and 84 years of age. Seven cases are in children five years or younger, and more than half of the cases are female.
More details of the outbreak can be found HERE.
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