Quotes of the Day

If you were out hiking one day and saw a sick chipmunk on the side of a trail, would you touch it? Probably not. But what if the ailing critter was your pet hamster or mouse, living in a cage at home? The CDC today reported the first outbreak of drug-resistant Salmonella poisoning that has ever been traced to pet rodents. In one case a five-year old boy in Minnesota frequently handled and kissed a mouse that his family had just bought at a pet store last summer, despite the fact—or perhaps because—the mouse was sick immediately after they brought it home. Four days later the boy became violently ill with abdominal cramps, fever and diarrhea. Two days after that the mouse died. Fortunately, the boy survived. Tests showed he had been infected with the same drug-resistant strain of Salmonella that sickened the mouse.

In another case, a four-year old boy in South Carolina became sick seven days after his pet hamster died. Although the hamster didn't appear ill at the store, it died two just two days after it was brought home.

The outbreak was admittedly small—the CDC was able to identify fewer than 30 people who became sick. And pet stores and distributors should probably do more to insure their animals are healthy before they sell them. But just to be on the safe side, you might not want to cuddle your new hamster or mouse too often when it first comes home. And be sure to wash your hands whenever you handle it or its bedding.

• Christine Gorman
• The CDC warns of a downside to cuddling your critters