Human cold virus in snakes

[Invictus]

I have to feed the kids tonight, but I have a vicious cold. I've heard that snakes can't get the human cold virus, but I want to know if anyone knows or has heard differently?

[marisa]

I can't be *sure* but personally I have never read or heard anything to that effect. I think you are safe, but I know that someone who knows this answer for sure will chime in! :)

I know that rodents can get certain things from us though.

Marisa

[enso]

I'd have to agree with marisa. I'm a vet tech student and have never heard of human illness transmission to a snake. Just snakes infecting people with zoonotic diseases.

[Bryce Masuk]

Virus's are very species specific The chances are slim to none that they could contract it from. you the only way is if the virus orginaly came from a snake then you contracted it then you could pass it back

[Lisa]

You could wear rubber gloves to be safe.

[marisa]

Yeah that's a good idea.

I get these boxes of 1000 latex gloves from a friend. I love them. I wear them all the time (well not ALL the time!) and they come in really handy!

Marisa

[Lisa]

I'm picturing you wearing the latex gloves at dinner engagements Marisa. (Come to think of it, has anyone worn gloves to a dinner engagement since their prom?)

[Linds]

Just like Bryce and enso stated, all of the common cold viruses people contract cannot be transmitted to reptiles. Most parasites and diseases are host specific.

[eyespy]

Just remember that latex is a very complicated protein and that it can cause life-threatening allergies in humans and animals alike! I'm on disability because of a latex allergy and I"ve seen animals go into anaphylactic shock from it too. I've had my heart stop because of being in the same building where latex is in use, I don't even have to be in the same room.

Most of the large vet clinics I know stopped using latex back in 1997 when the NIOSH studies came out and latex use was discouraged by the US federal government.

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/latexalt.html

The more you use latex, the more likely you
are to develop an allergy, particularly if you already have allergies to cross-reactive proteins.

http://www.latexallergyresources.org/Product_lists/food_list.cfm

It took 18 years of use before I became allergic. There is no treatment but total latex avoidance. I've rehabbed reptiles that suffer from latex allergy so I know that the risk is not just for humans alone.

So of course I don't recommend using latex gloves.

[cornsss]

wash your hands for at least thirty seconds (hot water and soap of course) and don't touch your face for the duration of food/herp handling.

keeps things nice and healthy for all :)

[gonesnakee]

You Ontario girls are pretty kinky with your glove fetishes, LOL. Me, I only wear em when I don't want to leave any prints behind heh heh. Mark ;)