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Do you remember your first pet? Odds are it was something flushable, but it was nevertheless a good way to teach younger children the responsibility of taking care of a smaller animal before graduating to a larger one, like a cat or dog. No matter what the pet is, the odds are it didn’t make you sick. In recent years, geckos have become a popular pet, but the CDC says there has been a surge in cases of salmonella, transmitted by the handling of the cute amphibians. Dr, Gregory Poland is the leader in vaccines and infectious diseases at the Mayo Clinic. He appeared on 710 WOR’s Mendte in the Morning program with some advice on how to handle a pet that could make you physically ill.
“When I was a kid, it was those little half-dollar size turtles you could buy,” Dr. Poland reminisced for host Larry Mendte. “But those pet turtles, other amphibians- but right now, particularly geckos- are leading to a multi-state outbreak. We’ve got 27 states, including New York, and this can be serious… I wouldn’t let a kid under the age of five play with them. Wash your hands well. Keep them away from food areas, or you could end up with a salmonella infection, which can be quite serious.”
Dr. Poland also offered advice for dealing with chronic venous insufficiency, the common yet incurable condition President Trump was diagnosed with last week. “You can elevate your legs, low-salt diet, walking and compression stockings… it’s not a dangerous-type condition, but it’s a problematic one.”
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