Soft, adorable, lovable, but also very dangerous

Remember, don’t nuzzle and kiss those cute fuzzy chicks, ducklings and bunnies filling farm and pet stores in anticipation of spring and Easter. Although soft, adorable and loveable, these babies often carry salmonella bacteria that can cause diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps.

Go ahead and pet them, but always – always – wash your hands with warm water and soap immediately afterward, warns Steve Main of the Spokane Regional Health District. Kissing and face snuggles aren’t suggested because that just makes it too easy for fecal matter to get in your mouth.

Main, an environmental public health specialist, also said to avoid kissing reptiles and amphibians including lizards and turtles, especially tiny silver dollar turtles. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned the sale of turtles with a shell less than four inches long in 1975 because young children were so vulnerable to the effects of salmonella. Infectious disease specialists estimate that the ban has prevented 100,000 salmonella infections in children each year, according to the FDA.

There have been three national salmonella outbreaks in the past few years related to live poultry, including those in backyard flocks, causing about 1,200 cases of salmonella, Main said. About 39 were in Washington state. In addition, there were about 100 other cases in the state not specifically tied to one of the national outbreaks.

Each year, salmonella is estimated to cause 1.2 million illnesses in the United States with 19,000 hospitalizations and 380 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control Prevention.

“It’s a big issue because it’s very preventable,” he said, adding that children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems are especially susceptible to salmonella.

The health district is working with local pet and farm stores to provide signs encouraging hand washing. Main said it’s common for people to pick up and play with the chicks and then minutes later eat something without first washing their hands.

He also cautions people not to get baby bottles, pacifiers, toys or strollers near the animals where fecal matter and salmonella could contaminate the items and transport the bacteria to cars and homes.