Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was cleaning a cage just now, and it occurred to me that I could probably catch something in the event I didn't wash my hands really well - a parasite, an infection, etc. This ever happen to anyone here?

The only way for you to catch a disease is for it to actually somehow get into your body. You could literally have blood from an AIDS infected person on your arm, but as long as you had no cuts, scrapes, weaknesses in the skin in that area you could not contract AIDS, unless you ingested it - rubbed in your eye, or any orfice.

With that said, you have germs all over your body all the time which could potentially be harmful to you...but they can't get inside to do the job. You ask if washing your hands before you clean could help from catching a disease... well I would always wash my hands before doing anything with my snakes because I don't want to give them anything, nor do i want to get bitten and have a patyway for those potential germs to get inside my body.

If you feel very unsecure, wear a pair of thick gloves... like dishwashing gloves. Washing your hands won't do anything for you.

Actually speaking of handwashing, I did a joint research project a couple years back with a professor at the college in town, about how antibacterial soap can in theory be bad for you. Your skin has a buildup of mucus and bacteria all over it, which helps fill in pores and keep bad things out. When you wash your hands with an antibacterial soap, you destroy a small layer of this mucus/bacteria membrane. If you only use antibacterial soap and do this time and time again... there is the potential to wash away this safety layer on your skin which can open it up to a higher chance of an infection getting in. So what do you do? Alternate. Wash with an antibacterial soap before you eat and such, but the rest of hte time just use a standard lotion soap. It doesn't kill the mucus/bacteria layers on your skin, but it will wash away most all undesirable germs.
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-Chris

The reason mainstream thought is thought of as a stream is because it's so shallow. -George Carlin

A fool doesn't learn. A smart man learns from his mistakes. A wise man learns from the mistakes of others. Which one are you?

My Website
Rat/Corn snake care sheet I wrote

Current snakes:
0.1 Licorice Stick Black Rat (Lola)
1.0 Black Rat (Frankie)
1.1 Texas Bairds (Jose and Rosa)
0.1 Blue Beauty (Brunhilde)
1.0 Green Tree Python (Claudius)... coming soon

The only way for you to catch a disease is for it to actually somehow get into your body.

That is true, but things can get into our bodies in a variety of ways. We all get diseases every year from just being exposed to airborne pathogens (through inhalation) and through getting pathogens into our food/drink.

There aren't that many zoonotic pathogens that snakes can carry, but it is still wise to treat your snakes like they are dirty.

1. Always wash your hands after handling your snakes.
2. Don't eat or drink while handling your snakes, and keep your hands out of your eyes and nose (and any other mucosal orifices you are inclined to put your hands in ).
3. Remember that snakes in a captive environment frequently crawl through their own feces and this means their skin is potentially contaminated. Again, treat them like they are "dirty" and they shouldn't harm you.
4. Don't mix snake handling things with food handling things and don't handle your snakes around food preparation areas.

And before anyone jumps in and says "I've had snakes for x number of years and I've never had a problem!", I have been keeping snakes for over 30 years (getting too close to 40 years unfortunately!) and haven't died of anything yet either.

But can you explain the root cause of every case of diarrhea you have had during the time you have kept snakes? I know I can't.

It is a bigger problem with children, obviously, but it isn't a bad idea to be conscientious yourself.
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Chris Harrison

The only way for you to catch a disease is for it to actually somehow get into your body.

That is true, but things can get into our bodies in a variety of ways. We all get diseases every year from just being exposed to airborne pathogens (through inhalation) and through getting pathogens into our food/drink.

The nose is an open orfice which leads into your body. I guess I didn't make it clear that it doesnt have to be actually ingested or sneak in through a laceration of your skin to get in.
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-Chris

The reason mainstream thought is thought of as a stream is because it's so shallow. -George Carlin

A fool doesn't learn. A smart man learns from his mistakes. A wise man learns from the mistakes of others. Which one are you?

My Website
Rat/Corn snake care sheet I wrote

Current snakes:
0.1 Licorice Stick Black Rat (Lola)
1.0 Black Rat (Frankie)
1.1 Texas Bairds (Jose and Rosa)
0.1 Blue Beauty (Brunhilde)
1.0 Green Tree Python (Claudius)... coming soon