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The association between salmonellosis and exposure to contaminated food or infected pet turtles is well known. A recent outbreak highlights the risk for salmonella infection from pet rodents.
In August 2004, the Minnesota Health Department received a report of salmonella infections in two hamsters obtained from an Iowa pet distributor. Many hamsters died, and all tested animals harbored the same uncommon, antibiotic-resistant strain of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium. A review of the CDC’s PulseNet National Salmonella Database revealed 28 human infections with the same strain, with onset from December 2003 through September 2004.
In interviews with 22 of the 28 patients (or their parents), public health investigators determined that …