Furry “pocket pets” like hamsters, mice and rats have sickened up to 30 people in at least 10 states with dangerous multidrug-resistant bacteria, health officials are warning. (Yahoo! News, May 6, 2005)

My sister and I had a pet hamster named “Hammie” when we were in grade school. We weren’t very attached to Hammie because he was too squirmy to cuddle or even pet for more than a few seconds. We lost Hammie to pneumonia after about a year.

After that, we didn’t have any pets until a stray cat started hanging around our house during my freshman year in high school. Meow-Mi stayed with our family for about eight years until she was run over by a car while crossing the street.

I don’t recall my sister or I ever having any serious stomach trouble during those years. Guess we were either lucky or bacteria have gotten even stronger and more drug-resistant.

“This outbreak highlights the fact that there is no perfectly safe pet. Parents and children should wash their hands thoroughly after contact with any pet”–even the family dog, said Dr. Stephen J. Swanson, a CDC epidemiologist working in the Minnesota Department of Health.

In light of the outbreak, CDC recommends:

  • People should wash hands well after handling rodents, their cases or bedding.
  • Doctors should consider pets as a source of drug-resistant salmonella in patients with severe diarrhea.
  • Owners should not kiss their pets or hold them close to their mouths; pets should be kept away from kitchens and food.

My sister is now a proud owner of two rabbits. Is it time for rabbit stew?*

*I’m totally joking, all you animal lovers out there!

Cross-posted to

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