Salmonella Infections Linked to Pet Hedgehogs

The CDC announced that of May 30, 2019, 27 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhimurium have been reported from 17 states (California(2), Colorado(1), Indiana(2), Iowa(1), Kansas (1), Maine (1), Michigan (1), Minnesota (5), Mississippi (1), Missouri (3), Nebraska (1), Oregon (1), Tennessee (1), Texas (1), Virginia (2), Washington (1), Wyoming (2)). Two people were hospitalized, and no death reported. No deaths have been reported. 42% of the ill people are children younger than 13. Of 20 people interviewed, 18 (90%) reported contact with hedgehogs before becoming ill. Ill people reported buying hedgehogs from various sources, including pet stores, breeders, or online. The outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhimurium was identified in samples collected from 10 hedgehogs in Minnesota, including 5 hedgehogs from the homes of five ill patients. @ https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/typhimurium-01-19/index.html