Do exotic pets carry diseases dangerous to humans?
Yes. Not all pets have diseases, and humans are not susceptible to every disease an animal may carry. However, the saliva, urine and feces of many exotic species can prove to be a source of potentially dangerous pathogens. Pets have been known to cause illnesses and deaths from relatively rare diseases such as plague, tularemia, monkeypox, and hepatitis. In many cases, the animals are carriers and do not display symptoms of disease. For example, iguana droppings can carry salmonella bacteria but this does not make the iguanas ill. Hands should always be washed carefully and thoroughly after handling exotic pets and the calling cards of nuisance exotics. Bites and scratches should be treated by a doctor. How can I get rid of my unwanted exotic pet? It was such a cute baby when we bought it, but now I feel like dumping it in the woods (or the lake or the canal) because it has grown too large and too expensive for me to keep. Abandoning your exotic pet is against the law. There are a numb
