March 11th, 2013 12:01 AM ET Raw meat is a notorious Salmonella
carrier. It can also be found on unclean kitchen counters. An
investigation published this week in the journal of Pediatrics
suggests we should also look for the deadly bacteria in pet
frogs. Investigators from public health agencies across the
United States found that African dwarf frogs are causing a
nationwide outbreak of a specific Salmonella strain in children.
A group of health professionals make up the Salmonella
Typhimurium Outbreak Investigation Team, which is part of the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recently, the team
has been examining the effects of African dwarf frogs on
people’s health. “Amphibians and reptiles should never be kept
in homes with children less than 5 years old or with people who
have immune deficiencies,” said lead author and CDC public
health advisor Shauna Mettee Zarecki. This includes day care
settings and nursing homes, she said. The team examined an
outbreak of that strain from 2008 to 2011 and id